Thunderstorm Hits East County

A lightning and thunderstorm, that lashed parts of Arizona with winds gusting to 70 m.p.h. blew into East San Diego County Thursday night.

National Weather Service Forecaster Wally Cegiel said the storm roared from Mexico up to Anza Borrego Desert State Park including Julian, Mt. Laguna and the deserts. It arrived in Imperial County about 7:30 p.m. and in East County about 8:30 p.m.

Cegiel said the weather service hadn’t been able to determine the severity of the storm late Thursday, but that it was expected to end around 10:30 p.m. There were reports of a few downed telephone lines in Imperial County, where the winds were expected to reach 60 m.p.h., he said.

The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood and severe-thunderstorm warning for East County and western Imperial County Thursday night.

Despite the sudden storm, the weekend weather is expected to be an extension of the fair days San Diego has had so far this week, but humidity will be slightly higher, the weather service said.

Countywide temperatures will be close to seasonal, and skies will be slightly hazy after the early-morning low cloud burn-off, Shigehara said.

Daytime highs at the beaches will range from 68 to 73 through the weekend. The ocean water temperature is 68 degrees and the surf is at 2 to 3 feet.

Highs of 74 to 80 along the coast today, and 1 or 2 degrees lower Saturday and Sunday are forecast. Overnight lows are to be 60 to 66.

Inland highs will be from 82 to 92 today and from 80 to 90 the rest of the weekend. Lows will range from 55 to 62, Shigehara said.

The mountains will be warm and partly cloudy through the weekend, with a chance of late afternoon thundershowers.