SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Residents in San Diego County had plenty to watch as lightning cracked across the skies during thunderstorms late Monday.
According to the National Weather Service, 524 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were recorded in San Diego County as of 7 a.m. on Tuesday. That compares to 171 in Los Angeles County, 102 in western Riverside County, and 63 in Orange County.
Across Southern California, including coastal waters and eastern deserts, NWS said about 4,000 lightning strikes were recorded.
PHOTOS: Lightning streaks across San Diego County skies
FORECAST: Several days of rain on tap for San Diego County this week
Monday night's thunderstorms gave residents a light show, but also posed a danger to the area. At least one fire at a Morena-area business was reported due to a lightning strike, and another lightning strike sparked a small brush fire in the Rainbow area. CAL FIRE said crews were dispatched to multiple tree fires amid the storm.
The storm also left thousands of San Diego Gas & Electric customers without power in areas around the county, including Coronado, National City, Paradise Hills, Skyline, and Bay Terraces, and Fallbrook.
Heavy rainfall, and even hail, was reported in areas throughout the county as well. Many areas saw between half an inch and an inch of rainfall on Monday night, NWS San Diego reported.
