‘Nonstop crazy lightning strikes’ hammer Bay Area amid severe thunderstorm warning

Lightning strikes that lit up the early morning sky over San Francisco Bay Area ignited wildfires and left tens of thousands without power Sunday in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Utility officials said more than 57,000 people from San Rafael to Marin County lost power in the storm as lightning and high winds downed power lines, KPIX reported.

In Santa Clara County, downed lines sparked a fire responsible for about 20 evacuations at 3 a.m., according to the station. Firefighters contained the blaze by 6 a.m. They responded to 11 lightning-caused fires in the area Sunday.

No major injuries or damage were reported, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

A red flag warning for dangerous fire conditions will continue through 11 a.m. Monday, the National Weather Service says.

The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the San Francisco Bay Area through 8 a.m. Sunday.

The warning covered Marin, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Monterey and Napa counties, according to the NWS.

Wind gusts of up to 75 mph were expected, the agency said. The NWS advised people to “move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building” for safety.

Bay Area residents reported lightning and thunder early Sunday morning.

“If you’ve never lived in the Bay Area, I cannot impress how unfathomable a real thunderstorm is here,” wrote Jared Petty on Twitter. “It’s 3:30 AM & I’m on my apartment steps watching the lightning and it’s stunning. I can’t remember the last time I heard thunder before tonight.”

The Bay Area has seen record heat with temperature as high as 110 degrees in some inland areas as a heat wave slams California, KGO reported.

This story was originally published August 16, 2020 at 7:14 AM with the headline "‘Nonstop crazy lightning strikes’ hammer Bay Area amid severe thunderstorm warning."