US weather: Violent ‘diablo winds’ to batter US with Christmas floods and landslides

Jim Dale, US weather correspondent and meteorologist for British Weather Services,: “Low pressure will build across California from the middle of the week, and this is going to put the region at risk of a vigorous storm.”

According to GB News he said: “This could also trigger Santa Ana winds coming in from the desert states including Nevada and the surrounding area. This could end up bringing a lot of dust across from the region, and this will cause additional problems.”

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Temperatures are set to drop, meaning the usually warm Santa Ana winds will arrive with a winter chill. However, the main threat from the storm will be heavy downpours throughout the rest of the week.

Dale warned: “This low is going to arrive with a lot of moisture, so the main risk in the run-up to the weekend will be from the rain and the potential for flooding. This is partly due to the ‘ocean effect’, in that this is being fuelled by the warmer-than-average ocean waters.”

The US National Weather Service has issued a number of flood alerts on Friday across northwest California and San Diego. Some areas are on alert for two to four inches of rain, but the worst-hit regions could get eight inches.

Fast-flowing flood water also threatens debris flow, rockslides and mudslides, according to The Weather Channel.

Meteorologist Chris Dolce said: “A slow-moving storm will drench Southern California with heavy rain, triggering possible flooding and debris flows in recent burn areas, as well as rockslides and mudslides over the next couple of days. The storm will slowly track inland across Southern California through Thursday and the first half of Friday.”

Weather Channel meteorologist Domenica Davis added: “The main event weatherwise is certainly out to the west. We have a slow-moving system that is going to be targeting California and the Desert Southwest over the next couple of days. This is going to be especially in southern California where we are expecting heavy rainfall and impacts through Thursday and even through much of Friday.”

Rain is set to turn into snow on Friday, with up to three inches expected in parts of Mammoth Lakes, California, and Flagstaff, Arizona. Coastal areas are bracing for the worst of it, where unstable atmospheric conditions could trigger thunderstorms, warns Davis. She said: “We could be looking at some mudslides, and certainly flash flooding is going to be the biggest concern.

“We could have some thunder in the forecast as well, so a little bit of a severe component could be on the cards, especially Thursday and into Friday.”