LOS ANGELES (DPA)

Authorities issued flood warnings for parts of the Los Angeles area on Saturday as heavy rain and strong winds swept southern California.

The Los Angeles weather service urged caution, particularly in areas affected by the severe wildfires in January, warning of a landslide risk.

Residents in the affected districts were urged to evacuate quickly in the case of an emergency.

The city of Santa Monica advised people to avoid non-essential travel and not to use flooded roads under any circumstances.

Streams and rivers in California have burst their banks as a result of the storm, and some roads in the worst-affected areas have been closed.

Heavy rain can be particularly dangerous after wildfires, when soil is bare. In 2018, severe forest fires were followed by heavy rainfall in the Santa Barbara area of California, triggering mudslides that destroyed hundreds of homes and killed more than 20 people.