Thousands without power in California as it braces for next onslaught of storms

Torrential downpours and damaging winds left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power in California early on Sunday as the area braced for the next onslaught of severe weather.

More than 560,000 homes were reported to be still without power in California as of 5.06am ET (10.06am GMT), according to data from PowerOutage.us.

An NWS weather alert on Saturday warned that the cumulative effect of successive heavy rain storms since late December could bring rivers to record high levels and cause flooding across much of central California.

The heavy recent rains have had a huge impact on the state and caused rivers and streams to overflow, sent floods down street and highways, and submerged vehicles, homes, and businesses. The storms have also whipped waves to historic heights along the California coast.

Drought-hit California had been on track for another dry winter until the stacked atmospheric rivers came into play. However, most experts believe the state will need a lot more water before the long-term drought could be considered meaningfully broken.