Lightning storm moves through Southern California

Lightning storms moved over Southern California Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Rain fell several times during the night, and lightning struck repeatedly throughout the region.

Citizens reported smoldering palm trees in several areas of Orange County. In the suburban city of Irvine, darkness came early as heavy clouds blotted out the twilight. Some of the heaviest weather came soon after, as fat raindrops fell on the city. Lightning lit up the sky as often as every fifteen seconds, and AM radios emitted bursts of static every few seconds as lightning struck. The storm tapered off for several hours, but peaked again shortly before 1 am; lightning was once again seen repeatedly and power flickered several times.

The National Weather Service's San Diego office issued an advisory warning of approaching thunderstorms; they estimated there would be 1/4 inch of rainfall and that the storm would leave the area by Tuesday night.

Southern California rarely sees lightning; a thunderstorm rolls through once every few years, typically due to bad weather to the south. Meteorologists say that this storm is an offshoot of Hurricane Max, which is currently several hundred miles west of Mexico and moving away from land.