California storm brings flooding and leaves thousands without power

Mass power outages, flooding and the closures of both motorways and beaches are affecting California as a rare winter storm sweeps the US state.

More than 120,00 people - many of them in the Los Angeles area - are without electricity after days of fierce winds.

The main north-south motorway on the West Coast, Interstate 5, remains shut in the mountainous section known as the Grapevine.

The storm, which is due to weaken, is one of the strongest to hit the state.

Relentless winds have toppled trees and downed power lines.

On Saturday, all beaches were closed for several hours due to lightning strikes in LA County, the authorities said.

There were also reports of flights grounded in the region.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of heavy rains and thunderstorms over Southern California, in its bulletin just after 20:00 GMT on Saturday (12:00 local time).

"As the front moves inland, snow will move over the Northern Intermountain Region and into Northern California on Sunday morning," the NWS said.

Residents of the state capital of Sacramento have been warned to avoid travel from Sunday to Wednesday with rain and snow starting up again.

In Oregon, California's northern neighbour, a state of emergency was declared in one county as a precaution. The authorities said this would ensure the necessary resources and equipment could be quickly allocated if later requested.

So far there have been no reports of any storm-related deaths or serious injuries.

Earlier this week, snowflakes were seen falling in Los Angeles, a city famed for its palm trees and sun-kissed boulevards.

Local residents were seen marvelling at the unfamiliar sight of a snow flurry around the Hollywood sign on Mount Lee. 

And San Francisco broke a 132-year record low temperature for 24 February, dipping to 39F (4C) on Friday morning.