Storms bring fires, power outages to the Bay Area

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Viewed from the Emily Renzel Ponds in Palo Alto, lightning bolts illuminate the early Sunday morning sky. Courtesy Brian Krippendorf.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning Sunday morning, predicting that frequent lightning and erratic wind gusts could continue throughout the day.

The storm arrived off the coast of California early Sunday morning and migrated northeast into the Bay Area around 3 a.m., prompting widespread reports over social media of a bright and loud stream of thunder waking up residents.

About 4,500 customers in the Palo Verde/Meadow Park area of Palo Alto lost power in the Sunday morning when lightning struck a utility pole and caused a small fire. City of Palo Alto Utilities expected most of the customers to get power back by about 10 a.m.

A red flag warning is in effect for most of the Bay Area through 11 a.m. on Aug. 17. Courtesy National Weather Service.

PG&E also reported a power outage for 366 customers in the Palo Alto Hills as of 8:13 a.m., as well as 185 customers in Mountain View’s Cuesta Park neighborhood.

Further disruptions are expected to continue throughout the day. As of 8:04 a.m., the National Weather Service (NWS) was reporting a “continued stream” of thunder storms developing through the Bay Area, along with gusty winds in excess of 40 mph. The agency has since replaced its severe thunderstorm warning with a “ special weather statement,” warning of possible power outages, wildfires and downed trees and power lines through 8 a.m. Monday.

The red flag and dry lightning fire danger warning for the Bay Area has been extended through 11 a.m. Monday.

The NWS is still urging people to seek shelter — indoors or in a vehicle — if they have heard thunder within the last 30 minutes, adding that lightning can strike as far as 10 miles away from a thunderstorm.

Several Bay Area fires sparked overnight, including seven vegetation fires across San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. The Santa Clara County Fire Department also reported that downed power lines started a fire off of Highway 17 on Brush Road around 3 a.m., prompting the evacuation of 20 residents. The fire was contained at 6 a.m. after it scorched a little more than an acre.

Lightning can be seen in the distance in the early morning on Aug. 16 at the Emily Renzel Ponds in Palo Alto. Courtesy Brian Krippendorf.

The thunderstorms come in the middle of a prolonged Bay Area heat wave that is expected to continue into Wednesday, which has brought sweltering, record-breaking temperatures between the upper 90s and low 100s. Sunday is expected to be cooler than Saturday, but temperatures are expected to rise again with a “peak” on Tuesday.

Palo Alto Weekly Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner and Bay City News Service contributed to this report.