Hurricane Hilary has strengthened to a Category 4 status in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California Friday, with sustained winds up to 140 mph.
It was gaining strength as it slowly moved northward off the coast of Baja California on a still-uncertain path that will bring heavy rain and potentially flooding to the San Diego County area, with precipitation possibly beginning as early as Saturday night but peaking Sunday into Monday.
Hilary is expected to continue gaining strength, moving north over the next two days. However, by the time it reaches Southern California, it is expected to weaken to a Category 1 or even below hurricane or tropical storm levels, but the Southland will still have to cope with the remnants of the storm.
The exact path of the storm remained in flux Friday, with forecasters noting that even slight shifts in its track could dramatically impact rainfall totals. The NWS issued a flood watch that will be in effect from Saturday morning through Monday in the San Diego County mountains, deserts, valleys and coastal areas, along with the Riverside County mountains and valleys, the Coachella Valley and San Gorgonio Pass near Banning.
"The combination of heavy rainfall, the potential for flash flooding, and strong winds could very well make this a high-impact event for Southern California."
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