‘Bomb cyclone’ knocks out power to more than 600,000 in US north-west

The powerful storm has knocked out power to around 600,000 people (National Weather Service Portland via AP)

At least one person has died after a major storm swept across the north-west US, battering the region with strong winds and rain and causing widespread power outages.

The US Weather Prediction Centre warned of excessive rainfall through until Friday and hurricane-force wind warnings are in effect as the strongest atmospheric river – a large plume of moisture – that California and the Pacific North-west has seen this season overwhelms the region.