The US West is being hit by an 'atmospheric river'. Extreme weather phenomena in California
Flooding in Redding, California Photo: Noah Berger / AP / Profimedia
After a series of strong storms hit northern California, American meteorologists warned on Monday that a system caused by “an atmospheric river” is intensifying and moving south, bringing with it strong winds and torrential rains, informs Xinhua, taken over by Agerpres.
On Sunday, the overflowing waters following the floods killed a driver in Redding, a city in the northern US state of California. The driver was found dead in a flooded vehicle, according to Redding Mayor Mike Littau.
Torrential rains are caused by a powerful “atmospheric river” – a vast corridor of concentrated moisture that moves from the tropics. As the atmospheric system moves toward southern California, the risk of urban flooding increases.
The giant rivers in the sky. An atmospheric phenomenon very little known in Romania, which sometimes produces catastrophic floods
American meteorologists have indicated that in downtown Los Angeles there is an 80% probability that from Tuesday until Christmas Day at least 51 millimeters of rain will fall, and from Tuesday to Saturday amounts between 100 and 200 millimeters of precipitation are expected in most of Los Angeles County.
On Monday, US authorities continued to advise local residents to exercise caution, advising travelers to prepare backup plans, as the state of California faces a rainy and dangerous week over the holiday season.
