Strong winds have battered Los Angeles and its surrounding regions.

Powerful gusts uprooted trees and paralyzed traffic.

The roofs of houses were blown away and cars were destroyed.

Winds gusting up to 160 kilometers per hour, speeds to equivalent to those produced by a hurricane, put residents on alert.

The powerful gales also damaged power lines and facilities, leaving 300-thousand households without power.

The U.S. National Weather Service issued high wind warnings for the region, saying the gusts were created by a large-scale cold low pressure front. The weather service expects the winds to die down by Friday afternoon, local time.

The strong winds even prompted educational offices in some regions to close schools for the day.