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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A brief-but-intense storm cell quickly developed over the San Fernando Valley Thursday afternoon, bringing rain and hail to the area, while lightning caused authorities to close beaches from Will Rogers State Beach south to Hermosa Beach.
The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning around 3:30 p.m. Thursday for an area stretching from Chatsworth to Northridge to Reseda and Winnetka. Video from Chatsworth showed hail falling in some neighborhoods, along with some short-lived driving rain.
Forecasters said the system also had the capability of producing 60 mph winds.
The NWS also issued a flash flood warning for many of the same areas, but including other communities such as Encino, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Tarzana and Sun Valley. Forecasters said the storm cell could produce rain falling at a rate of up to one inch per hour. The warning expired at 7 p.m.
LA County lifeguards cleared beaches in Santa Monica shortly before 5:30 p.m. Thursday after lightning was spotted in the area, then extended the closure to the larger coastal area. All county beaches were reopened by 6:20 p.m.
Regardless of the quick-moving system, forecasters said the Southland should dry out over the next few days, although it could be breezy on Friday and Saturday.
According to the NWS, temperatures should gradually warm back to normal levels by Friday.
An earlier storm that moved through the region Wednesday dropped sometimes-heavy rain in select areas, but since it moved fairly quickly, the precipitation numbers were held down.
Malibu and Santa Monica both received about an inch of rain, while about a half-inch fell in areas including Hawthorne and Compton, according to the NWS. Some areas of Orange County saw locally higher amounts, including 1.11 inches in Huntington Beach.