Bay Area, North Bay on Watch for Dry Lightning as Heat Wave Begins

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With a slug of tropical moisture due to arrive in the Bay Area today and Friday, Cal Fire and local agencies are on the watch for any fire starts that may be caused by thunderstorms producing dry lightning.

As the clouds arrive on Thursday afternoon, heat will also be building resulting in muggy conditions Thursday night and Friday. Meanwhile, temperatures this weekend through next Wednesday will be around 100 degrees or higher across most of inland Sonoma County and the North Bay.

As of noon Thursday, the remnants of tropical storm Elida were streaming north off the California coast and already producing lightning strikes and showers in parts of central California.

By midday Friday, moisture is forecast to peak across the North Bay. It will definitely feel muggy. Depending on the track taken by the tropical moisture, that may also be the period when a few thunderstorms and lightning strikes could occur in our area.

At this point the chance of showers, thunderstorms and lightning is still low.

However, depending on how conditions develop the National Weather Service may issue a Red Flag Warning (to accompany heat advisories) if thunderstorms do form across the Bay Area and the North Bay. Stay tuned!