The United States is experiencing extreme weather conditions on both sides of the country, with wildfires on the West Coast and a severe winter storm in the Midwest and East Coast.
Evacuation orders were issues to more than 30,000 residents in northern Los Angeles on due to fires in the hills surrounding the American city. Three fires are raging that are spreading rapidly and have already destroyed several buildings, American media reports.
The largest fire is raging in the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, where at least 13,000 buildings are threatened by the fire. After the fires had spread rapidly in a few hours, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday. The fire has already affected at least 12 km². At least 166,000 households are without power.
The fire is being fanned by strong winds, which will continue until at least Wednesday. They are also making it difficult for firefighting planes to take off, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Fires are also being reported in the neighbourhoods of Altadena, Arcadia, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Sylmar. Several roads are closed and several schools in the affected area will remain closed on Wednesday.
Local media reports that several people have been injured, including at least one severely. Looters are also said to be active. All evacuees have been asked to leave the doors of their homes unlocked and to turn off the power. The fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, which borders the Santa Monica mountains. The cause of the fire is still unclear.
Cold fronts on the East Coast
Meanwhile, several states were hit by a severe winter storm on the East Coast and in the Midwest, accompanied by snow and freezing temperatures. Severe weather warnings are in effect for some 60 million residents in more than a dozen states.
Kansas and Missouri in particular, where up to 25 centimetres of snow fell, have been hit hard. In some regions, the heaviest snowfall in ten years is expected. The temperatures dropped to -10°C in some areas. A winter weather warning is also in effect for Washington D.C., where the certification of Trump's victory in the November elections took place on Monday.
In the meantime, hundreds of accidents have occurred on the icy roads throughout the country and many motorists have become stuck in the snow. Many schools have remained closed as a precaution and air traffic also experienced serious disruption. At least 1,700 flights have been cancelled at airports in the affected states, CNN reported.
A state of emergency has been declared in seven states — Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, Maryland and parts of New Jersey.
