California declares state of emergency over ‘truly brutal’ storm

Incoming bomb cyclone system threatens to wreak havoc in the drought-stricken state while doing little to alleviate its water woes

Millions of Californians are being lashed by yet another destructive winter storm that arrived on Wednesday, with meteorologists warning the truly brutal" weather system would bring flooding, strong winds and power outages over the coming days.

Powerful winds from the incoming bomb cyclone" whipped across northern California ahead of the storm's arrival, toppling trees and blocking roads as crews rushed to clear storm drains and people fortified their homes. Further south, officials began ordering evacuations in high-risk coastal areas of Santa Barbara county, including the tony town of Montecito - home to many celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle.