An unseasonable thunderstorm series cleaned up Southern California on Tuesday, giving them the possibility of launching fires in areas with limited rainfall.
In the Los Angeles area, storms gathered around the San Gabriel Mountains before descending into the urban area in the morning and into the southwest coast, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Kittel. All parts of LA are within the range of today’s lightning ears, he said.
The storm caused considerable thunder and lightning, but generally accompanied by less than 10 inches of light rain.
“It’s a kind of dry lightning setup, you get lightning that can set up a fire, but there’s no rain that will bring it out,” he said. “Thankfully, we haven’t seen a report of the fire, and we hope it stays like that.”
In addition to pose a risk of igniting wildfires, Lightning also poses a risk to the health of humans and animals.
“Nearly 100 people are killed every year due to being hit by the lightning bolts of this country,” Kittel said. “When you hear that lightning and find a shelter, be sure to be careful of nature’s warning calls.”
Luckily, lighter rainfall levels reduced the risk of debris flowing in burn scars in Eton and Palisade, predictors warned Monday.
However, the storm system has brought heavier rain inland, and the weather department has issued a flash flood warning for San Bernardino County. There, by 4:30pm several areas collected three-quarters of the rain.
The heaviest rainfall in the Los Angeles area was in the higher mountains, recorded by Mount Bardi, with 0.31 inches of rain by 4:30pm, Kittel said.
Tuesday’s storm is a rare occurrence as Southland usually sees the majority of thunderstorms in August and September.
“It’s a rare low-pressure system that draws this damp tropical air from Mexico,” Kittel said. “This kind of system will not move around this area this year.”
The storm is expected to continue rolling across Southern California on Tuesday evening before gradually leaving the area by around 10pm, Kittel said.
On Wednesday, there will also be high humidity and potential scattered showers. A more typical June weather is expected to return on Thursday, with the coastal ocean formations hovering and moderate temperatures throughout Los Angeles County.
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