Rain, Humidity Cast Cloud on Sunny Southland Image

John and Yvonne Verheul came from Holland equipped with everything they needed to be tourists in Southern California--sandals, short shorts and shirts in neon pink.

Everything, that is, except an umbrella. “We didn’t expect this,” Yvonne Verheul said as the pair walked through a light shower Monday.

Intermittent showers, leaden skies and muggy air continued to erode the sunny image of Southern California.

“It is unusual, especially for August,” said Steve Burback, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts to The Times.

Burback attributed the odd weather to tropical storm Hilda, reported about 500 nautical miles from Los Angeles Monday evening and moving northwesterly.

“Hilda has spread moisture into Southern California and will continue to do so for the next day to day-and-a-half,” Burback said Monday.

Hilda has brought humidity along with the clouds and unseasonably warm nights, Burback said. “Humidity levels are now in the 50% range during the afternoons,” he said, “and quite a bit higher at night, 85% at least.”

Nighttime temperatures have been in the upper 80s in Orange County--about 10 degrees higher than normal, he said.

The daytime temperatures have also seemed warmer because of the humidity, Burback said. Still, the Orange County highs Monday ranged from 98 in San Juan Capistrano and Santa Ana to 89 in Anaheim, he said.

But Doris Rodler of San Jose, who was visiting Dana Point Harbor with her daughter and grandchildren from Pasadena, said she was enjoying the weather.

“I’m from Ohio originally, and if you think this is humidity, you should try a summer day back there. You’ll get 90-degree days and 99% humidity.”

Trace amounts of rain fell Monday in Orange County and Los Angeles, as well as in Santa Monica, Long Beach, Riverside and Big Bear, according to National Weather Service measurements. Thunderstorms were reported for the eastern Mojave Desert.

The Weather Service issued flash-flood warnings for various mountain and desert areas earlier Monday but canceled them when expected storms did not materialize, spokeswoman Pat Rowe said.

Because of the clouds shrouding the area, the meteor light show expected to streak through the northeastern sky this week will be blocked from view. The annual August event, visible when the Earth’s orbit crosses debris left in space from a comet known as Swift-Tuttle, should last another two nights, said Griffith Observatory guide Morgan Harmon.

People who live in urban areas will find the meteors hard to spot.

Writers Thuan Le and Len Hall contributed to this story.