LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Beaches from Malibu to Torrance were briefly evacuated today when lightning was spotted along the coast.
Los Angeles County lifeguards reported a lightning strike in the Marina del Rey area around 9:45 a.m. With an electrical storm in the area, the county closed beaches stretching from Torrance to Malibu.
Santa Monica Fire Department officials followed suit, urging people to clear beaches while telling people on the pier to seek shelter indoors until the storm passes.
Just before 10:30 a.m., beaches were reopened between Torrance and Manhattan Beach. The rest of the beaches were reopened about 15 minutes later.
The National Weather Service reported a “weak upper-level disturbance” moving into the county Tuesday morning “with plenty of mid-level clouds and scattered showers.” Forecasters noted that the system could bring “an isolated lightning strike,” but such activity was expected to quickly move out of the area.
According to the NWS, there will be a lingering chance of afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains and Antelope Valley thanks to the “monsoonal moisture” in the air.
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