Hurricane Hilary: 10 important points to know

Hurricane Hilary is predicted to hit southwestern US and parts of California on Sunday.

United States is bracing for another natural calamity after the disastrous wildfires in Hawaii. Hurricane Hilary is predicted to hit southwestern US and parts of California on Sunday. It will lead to heavy rainfall and may cause flooding as a result.

This satellite image taken at 10:50am EDT on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, and provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Hilary off the Pacific coast of Mexico. (NOAA via AP) (AP)

“The threat of significant wind impacts continues to increase for northern portions of the Baja California Peninsula and the Southwestern United States, especially in areas of mountainous terrain,” the National Hurricane Center said Thursday night as quoted by CNN.

Thanks to Hilary, “multiple years’ worth of precipitation could potentially fall in some of the driest parts of California,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California at Los Angeles, said Wednesday.

Here are 10 important points to know about Hurricane Hilary which is predicted to hit the United States

• California, Nevada and Arizona are expected to be heavily affected by Hurricane Hilary.
• California, Nevada and Arizona may receive more than a year's worth of rain due to the calamity.
• Hilary has strengthened into a category 4 hurricane and will approach Mexico’s Baja California peninsula through Saturday.
• Hilary may transform into a powerful category 5 hurricane before losing its strenth upon entering colder water.
• The weather forecast for Hilary may need upgradation as the hurricane may change direction.
• In Southwestern US, heavy rain due to Hurricane Hilary, is expected to fall on Sunday and Monday. Southern parts of California and Nevada could receive 3 to 5 inches of rain, with some areas getting 10 inches of downpour.
• Death Valley in California which only receives about 2 inches of rain across an entire year, might get 1 to 2 years worth of rainfall in a single day.
• Longer duration of rain and heavy rainfall may cause flooding after the waterways get full to the brim.
• The National Weather Service in Los Angeles has predicted the risk of dangerously high surf, rip currents and coastal flooding.
• San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties are under a flood watch from Saturday night through Monday night, due to Hurricane Hilary.