At least 17 people in California have been killed in a series of storms that have dumped record-breaking rainfall on parts of the US state.
The storms have flooded streets, shutting down some of the state's most critical motorways, with footage on social media showing fallen trees and inundated neighbourhoods.
Downed power lines left thousands without electricity as crews raced to remove live wires from roads and broken tree branches. A sinkhole in Orange County sucked in two vehicles and boulders crashed on to cars parked along the Pacific Coast Highway, blocking the streets of Malibu.
Crews raced going door-to-door, warning residents of mudslides and pulling stranded pets from flooded homes.
The latest atmospheric river — a storm that dumps tremendous amounts of rainfall — has eased in some areas, with the storm shifting to Northern California.
An “enormous cyclone” coming off the West Coast is forecasted to bring even more rain and heavy winds to the northern part of the state as well as the Pacific North-West in the coming days.
The National Weather Service in a Wednesday morning advisory said the “endless stream of atmospheric river events” will refocus in Northern California and into Oregon and Washington state, sparing parts of Southern California and in particular Ventura County, which reported a record 48 centimetres of rain. Mammoth Mountain resort has received nearly eight metres of snowfall this year.
“The fact is that we're not out of the woods; we expect these storms to continue at least through the 18th of this month,” California Governor Gavin Newsom told reporters during a news conference on Tuesday.
“We now have 17 confirmed — and I underscore 'confirmed' tragically — just confirmed deaths.”
Santa Barbara County, two hours north of Los Angeles, lifted an evacuation order that affected about 10,000 people, including the wealthy enclave of Montecito, home to celebrities such as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and Carol Burnett.
The city's evacuation came on the fifth anniversary of mudslides that left 23 people dead and more than 100 homes destroyed.
Montecito is vulnerable to mudslides because it sits on a mountain front that was destroyed by a wildfire years ago.
Montecito deadly flood in 2018 - in pictures
The severe weather is the latest event to punish the state, which has experienced deadly wildfires and extreme heat in recent years due to global warming.
The storms could cost more than $1 billion, The Los Angeles Times reported — similar to damage costs caused by other extreme weather events that struck the US last year.
Despite the rainfall across the state, much of California remains in a moderate to severe drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.
“Megadroughts. Wildfires. Historic floods and atmospheric rivers. This whiplash weather is not an anomaly. California is proof that the climate crisis is real and we have to take it seriously,” Mr Newsom said in a tweet.
Search operations resumed for Kyle Doan, a five-year-old boy who was swept away by the floodwaters in Paso Robles earlier this week. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff said finding the boy remains “our top priority”.
The boy's mother was driving when her vehicle became stuck in floodwaters on Monday morning. Bystanders were able to rescue the mother but the boy was swept away. Mr Newsom said he is praying for Kyle's safety.
US President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration in California that will authorise federal resources to aid in recovery efforts.
Agencies contributed to this report
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Planes grounded by coronavirus
British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30
Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong
Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March
Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
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Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
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Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
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Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'
Huddersfield 0
