Thunderstorms rumble across Southern California

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thunderstorms flashed and banged across Southern California on Wednesday as a low-pressure system off the coast pulled monsoonal moisture northward into the region.

The storms hurled lightning bolts and unleashed brief downpours in a display of weather not typical of June.

Southern California Edison reported power outages affecting more than 27,000 customers, mostly in Los Angeles County.

Forecasters issued special weather statements as particularly heavy cells developed over various areas.

The National Weather Service said most rainfall was light but there were exceptions, including a cell over the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County where a gauge recorded nearly an inch of rain.

The lightning raised concern about the potential for fires in the drought-stricken region, and with summer vacations underway beachgoers were advised to watch weather conditions closely.

Forecasters said the weather would start calming down on Thursday and then become more Junelike.