Fast-moving thunderstorms bring heavy rain to parts of Southern California, sending beach umbrellas flying

A line of thunderstorms moved through Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Sunday, bringing strong gusts and rain to some areas during a scorching heat wave.

A storm that barreled through Santa Barbara brought heavy downpour and strong winds to the beach, leaving beach-goers screaming and trying to grab their belongings as umbrellas flew above the sand.

Wind gusts of up to 80 mph, along with the rain, caused the temperature there to drop from 101 to 81 degrees within 90 minutes, said Carol Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

“The storms are fast-moving but they’re dumping a lot of rain,” Smith said.

Moisture from Tropical Storm Lidia also brought heavy showers and gusty winds to Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park, offering some relief from a heat wave that has gripped the region for days.

Officials warned of the potential for flash floods, especially in burn areas that are more susceptible to flash flooding and debris flows.

Showers helped firefighters who continued to battle the 7,003-acre La Tuna fire that destroyed three homes and temporarily shut down the 210 Freeway. By Sunday evening, the blaze was 30% contained.

At the peak of the fire, more than 700 residents throughout the region were forced to flee their homes. By Sunday evening, all evacuation orders had been lifted.

Although temperatures dropped slightly Sunday, some areas — including Chatsworth, Northridge, Woodland Hills and Lancaster — still reached 101 degrees.

Los Angeles International Airport reached 97 degrees, Smith said, beating a previous record of 92 set in 1982.

Southern California was expected to cool down Monday, dropping below triple digits. Coastal areas should hover about 80 degrees, Smith said, while valleys and inland areas could reach 95 degrees.

“We won’t have any hundreds anywhere,” she added.

Temperatures will continue falling Tuesday by about 5 degrees.

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UPDATES:

9:55 p.m.: This article was updated with new acreage and containment figures of the La Tuna fire.

This article was originally published at 8:55 p.m.