The west coast is being pummelled by back-to-back storms in the Pacific, thanks to an El Niño weather system that is tied with the strongest ever on record, NBC News reports.

California received a beating on Tuesday, with 1.42 inches of rain recorded at Los Angeles International Airport that broke a daily record set in 1979. Two more storms are forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, bringing as much as three inches of rain as well as a possible flash-flood watch for California by The National Weather Service.

NBC Los Angeles reported a voluntary ********** order in the Silverado Canyon area of Orange County due to mudslide fears, while southbound lanes of Route 101 in Ventura County were closed due to ******.

********** has issued a low ceiling alert on flights to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). The ******* is monitoring the situation closely and recommends travellers check their flight status prior to leaving for the airport.