‘Quite A Light Show’: Nearly 4,000 Lightning Strikes Detected Across Southern California In 24 Hours

TEMECULA (CBSLA) — If you thought you saw a lot of lightning during Monday night’s storm, you weren’t the only one – the National Weather Service said there were more than 2,000 lightning strikes detected just over Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties.

The fast-moving storm brought lightning strikes to a huge stretch of Southern California, from the Mexico border to Ventura County. In just Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties, the National Weather Service said 2,074 in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were detected.

It was quite a light show out there this evening! ⚡️

There were 2,074 in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes detected over Orange, San Diego and Riverside counties.

Check out the map below to see where the lightning occurred! #cawx pic.twitter.com/9udOf2OGDW

— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) October 5, 2021

Across Southern California, including coastal waters and eastern deserts, that total approached 4,000 lightning strikes for the 24-hour period that ended at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

The lightning and thunder wreaked havoc overnight, downing trees and sparking fires throughout the region. LA County’s beaches from San Pedro to Malibu were closed, and the Chargers-Raiders game at SoFi Stadium was delayed about 35 minutes.

Rain was heavy in some areas, but minimal in others. According to the NWS, some LA County areas received more than a quarter-inch of rain. But Corona del Mar in Orange County, and Murrieta and Temecula in Riverside County saw bigger downpours, receiving nearly half an inch of rain.

Another storm is expected to hit the Southern California region by Thursday night into Friday, but it is expected to be a colder storm system.