Southern California is enduring a brutal heatwave that began over the Labor Day weekend, and conditions are expected to worsen throughout the week with thunderstorms and lightning strikes increasing fire risks across the region.
The National Weather Service reported that a surge of monsoonal moisture, typical for the summer months, moved into California from the southwest desert region early Tuesday.
This brought a wave of lightning across large parts of the state, raising alarms for potential dangerous situations.
Monsoon thunderstorms can often lead to dust storms, wildfires ignited by lightning, and heavy downpours that may cause flooding.
Meteorologists indicated that with the expected high temperatures reaching into the triple digits in certain areas, combined with potential wind gusts of up to 50 mph, fire weather concerns are elevated until at least Friday.
“I think lightning and wind are the biggest concerns right now,” said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
On Tuesday morning, meteorologists recorded between 50 to 100 lightning strikes per hour across Southern California, raising red flags for ignitions.
In Stanislaus County, a grass fire erupted shortly after a lightning storm passed, rapidly consuming 300 acres while the cause remains undetermined.
Additionally, firefighting crews are tackling the Garnet fire, which was sparked by lightning the previous week in the Sierra National Forest. As of Tuesday, the fire has scorched over 24,800 acres and is only 12% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Meteorologists have projected a 50% chance of thunderstorms affecting the Garnet fire area, with reports of lightning strikes in the vicinity shortly after 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
“Along with a threat of new starts, strong, erratic outflow winds from convective activity can impact fire spread and pose risks to firefighter safety,” the Forest Service stated in a release.
A similar summer lightning storm in 2020 ignited a series of major fires, including the North Complex fire, the LNU Lightning Complex fire, and the CZU Lightning Complex fire. These blazes together torched over 800,000 acres and resulted in the deaths of at least 22 individuals, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
From Sacramento down to San Diego County, thunderstorms are expected to commence midday Tuesday, with Southern California likely to experience the most intense storms over the Antelope Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains through Wednesday evening.
This significant weather event brings a 30% to 50% chance of flooding, particularly for regions that include the Bridge fire burn scar.
Peak rainfall rates are anticipated to reach between half an inch to an inch per hour, according to forecasts from the weather service.
Warnings have been issued to stay vigilant, as any storm could trigger heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous lightning strikes that could lead to fire ignitions.
Residents are advised to seek shelter upon hearing thunder, the weather service cautioned.
A flood watch has been activated for parts of Central California, including Kern River Valley and Kings Canyon National Park, through Wednesday evening. This signals a risk of excessive runoff that could flood low-lying areas of rivers, creeks, and streams.
In Southern California, a flood watch is also in effect for areas such as Death Valley National Park and the eastern Mojave Desert, warning of moderate to heavy rainfall.
Additionally, a heat advisory remains in effect throughout much of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, with daytime temperatures projected in the high 90s and possibly exceeding 100 degrees in areas like Clarita, Woodland Hills, and Palm Springs.
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