Powerful storm knocks out power and floods roads in California

Search and rescue workers investigate a car surrounded by floodwater as heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River to swell in San Jose, California Picture: Noah Berger/AP

The second of back-to-back powerful storms churned through California early on Monday, flooding roadways and knocking out power for hundreds of thousands of people and prompting a rare warning for hurricane-force winds as the state braced for another day of heavy rains.

The storm inundated streets and brought down trees and electrical lines on Sunday across the San Francisco Bay Area, where winds topped 60mph (96kph) in some areas. Gusts exceeding 80mph (128kph) were recorded in the mountains.