21 Aug 2023

Tropical storm Hilary makes landfall in Mexico, moving

From Nine To Noon, 10:30 am on 21 August 2023

This handout satellite image courtesy of NOAA taken on August 16, 2023, shows hurricane Hilary approaching Baja California, Mexico. Tropical Storm Hilary strengthened into a major hurricane in the Pacific on August 16, 2023 and was expected to further intensify before approaching Mexico's Baja California peninsula over the weekend, forecasters said. Heavy rainfall was also expected in the southwestern United States from Friday as the storm moves north, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. (Photo by NOAA / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / NOAA" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

This handout satellite image courtesy of NOAA taken on 16 August 2023, shows hurricane Hilary approaching Baja California, Mexico. Photo: NOAA / AFP

A major tropical storm has brought strong winds and heavy rain to Mexico's Baja California region, and is now barrelling towards the southwest of the United States.

Forecasters are warning the storm could trigger life-threatening and "catastrophic" flooding amid historically large rainfall.

One person has died in Mexico as flash flooding turns roads into rivers, and in southern California, heavy rains and fierce winds have already begun to cause chaos, with California now in a state of emergency.

Plus, as the region hunkers down for the approach of tropical storm Hilary, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit Southern California, north of Los Angeles, just a short time ago.

Kathryn gets the latest from local correspondent Ira Spitzer in Berkeley, California.