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An innocent-looking tropical depression off the Pacific Coast of Central America has rapidly transformed into a powerful hurricane named Hilary. The GOES-18 weather satellite operated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration closely monitored Hilary’s development, as it quickly intensified from a mild depression to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145 mph (233 kph). The hurricane is now moving northward towards Baja California and is expected to make landfall on Sunday (Aug. 20) according to AccuWeather.

Thankfully, by the time Hilary reaches land, it is predicted to weaken to either a Category 1 hurricane or a tropical storm. Unfortunately, the severe weather conditions caused by Hilary led to the cancellation of a SpaceX Starlink launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday morning. The recovery operations in the Pacific were impacted extensively by the hurricane, causing SpaceX to stand down from the launch until at least Monday, August 21.

Hilary’s arrival in Southern California will mark the first hurricane or tropical storm landfall in the region since 1939. Weather forecasters are expecting significant impacts from the storm, including heavy rainfall across the southwestern United States, which could result in a risk of flash floods from San Diego to Las Vegas. In southern California and southern Nevada, up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain may fall, as reported by AP.

While Hilary continues to move away from the coastline, it has already brought strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rain to the coastal areas of Mexico.

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