Satellite imagery has been released of the two 'Pineapple Express' storms that are expected to unleash floods of rainwater on California this week. 

The Golden State was hounded by storms last year and residents are now bracing themselves for this year's series of downpours. 

Several inches of rain and upper-elevation mountain snow is expected to be dumped on the state this week as a result of two atmospheric rivers that are taking aim at California.

Atmospheric rivers are defined as 'narrow regions in the atmosphere that transport much of the moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes' by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  

The weather phenomenon is known as 'Pineapple Express' because it brings warm subtropical moisture across the Pacific from near Hawaii. 

Expected to start on Wednesday and last a week, the two Pineapple Express storms will unleash downpours of rain of up to four inches on the state along with high winds measuring over 30 miles per hour. 

Showers have already begun in Northern California and are expected to migrate South overnight as the first storm takes over the state.

While the drastic weather conditions are expected to settle down on Friday and Saturday - the second of the two forecasted storms will drench California all over again when it hits on Sunday.

'Storm No. 1 will be moderate to strong. Nothing earth-shattering. It won't be any catastrophe, but it could cause fairly widespread urban and small stream flooding in Northern California,' UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said. 

'The heavier rains and the stronger winds with storm No. 1 are probably going to be from the Monterey Bay area northward. So this will be a storm that affects the [San Francisco] Bay Area during the evening commute.'