SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Thunderstorms brought heavy rain, gusty winds, and lightning to San Diego’s East County and parts of South Bay Wednesday afternoon.
The severe thunderstorm warning took effect at 1:30 p.m. and ended at 2:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. A flash flood warning that started at the same time was due to expire at 4:45 p.m.
The San Diego Sheriff's Office reported a fire in the 21000 block of Lyons Valley Road. The road reopened about 4:30 p.m. as fire crews mopped up hot spots, deputies said.
Cal Fire reported five other spot fires in Dehesa near Sycuan, Old Survey Road in Ramona, near San Vicente Dam, near Wildcat Canyon in Lakeside, and Japatul Valley. The fires were extingushed, firefighters said.
In Lakeside, Kathy Bast recorded the moment lightning hit a power pole along Willow Road. She and her neighbors lost power, along with children playing Pop Warner football nearby.
According to SDG&E's outage map, thousands of customers lost power in unplanned outages, most of them in East County.
Video recorded by 10News reporter Cassie Carlisle showed the heavy storm on Interstate 8 in Pine Valley.
LIGHTNING!! ⛈ @10News pic.twitter.com/Ye6sjJVIfE
— Cassie Carlisle (@ReporterCassie) September 4, 2019
I8E near Pine Valley is getting hammered again. @10News pic.twitter.com/nScsRvzKpf
— Cassie Carlisle (@ReporterCassie) September 4, 2019
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Those looking to escape the rough weather at the beach were greeted with high temperatures. A heat advisory was issued from the coast to foothills from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“The warm and uncomfortable nights will continue through Friday, especially along the coast. The ocean water temperature is in the mid to upper 70s. In fact, a buoy off the Scripps Pier hit 77.5 degrees Tuesday, which is a record high for September. The water temperature has a direct impact in our overnight temperatures, so the warmer the water the warmer the nights. The added humidity is compounding the effects and impacting the rest of the county as well,” said Parry.
