Beaches Close As Storms Produce Heavy Rain, Lightning Throughout LA

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The storm cell, traveling through the Southland and producing plenty of thunder and lightning, shut down a number of beaches in Los Angeles County on Tuesday.

Beaches from Malibu to Palos Verdes Estates were closed and beach-goers were advised to stay away from the water.

Police had advised beach-goers to check the forecast before heading into the water and exiting the water, drying off, and taking shelter if thunder is heard.

Boaters who heard thunder were advised to head back to the dock as soon as possible.

In Long Beach, flashes of lightning continued to streak across the sky well into the evening hours. Curious residents came out of their homes to see if the flashes might escalate into thunderstorms.

"I think it's pretty cool, it's the signs of El Niño it seems like to me, I've only been out here for a year-and-a-half, so even I can tell that there's something weird in the air since last summer," Long Beach resident Kevin Vandehei said.

"Every night there's people just looking at the views after the sunset, just hanging out all night."

The storms started in the early afternoon, leading to large numbers of locals sharing images and videos of the weather over social media.

Inland, areas of LA experienced heavy rain and hail, resulting in slowed traffic on many freeways, as the quick-moving storms produced a surprising amount of rainfall.

Residents in the San Gabriel Valley say they are prepared for the weather to continue shifting from hot to cold and from dry to wet inconsistently.