Thunder, Lightning And Rain Surprise Parts Of Desert
A Red Flag Warning has been issued for the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas until 11 p.m. as clouds embedded with lightning roll through the area.
Light rain has been reported in most of the desert cities, but no considerable accumulation has been reported.
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The National Weather Service reported at least 2 lightning strikes per minute are happening throughout the area, raising concerns wildfires may be sparked.
A trace of rain was recorded about 5 a.m. at the Palm Springs International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
Further east, .05 of an inch was reported in Cathedral Canyon, which is southwest of Cathedral City, while .01 of an inch fell in Palm Desert, .02 of an inch in Thousand Palms and 0.01 in Thermal, the NWS reported.
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Riverside County firefighters responded to several reports of fires, but the rain doused the flames quickly, department spokeswoman Jody Hagemann said.
About 1,600 Southern California Edison customers lost power when a tree fell on some wires at 5:21 a.m. near Calle Lileta and Arenas Road in Palm Springs, said utility spokesman Charles Coleman.
Right now, there are no weather watches or warnings for the area, but that could change.
Stay with News Channel 3’s First Alert Weather Team for the latest on the changing desert conditions.