This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Photos: Gorgeous Lightning Strikes Over SoCal Last Night

Last night, Southern California saw a series of lightning strikes, making for some really beautiful photo opportunities.
A cold storm system, which moved through the Southland, prompted authorities to close beaches from Palos Verdes to Malibu as a precaution to the lightning strikes, the L.A. Times reports. The L.A. County Fire Department Lifeguard Division had to rescue a kite boarder.
Although most of Southern California wasn't affected by rain, the San Gabriel Valley and foothills had heavy rain, and flood advisories were issued for those areas.
There was even small hail in Malibu and Simi Valley.
Did y'all see that? Hail in Malibu. #mydayinLA pic.twitter.com/0FI1eZ40wp
— Sara Gaston Barton (@SaraGBarton) November 3, 2015
For the rest of us, it was a little chillier than it's been in weeks, and we got to see some beautiful lightning strikes from Orange County to the South Bay:

The Dana Point lightning strike captured on Nov. 3 from a drone flying 900 feet above Irvine (Photo courtesy of OC Storm Drone/Twitter)
#Repost via @ianrees out of #RedondoBeach. An amazing shot of some of the #Lightning tonight https://t.co/XALfpIVBXD pic.twitter.com/aGK7bc2usI
— LACoLifeguards (@LACoLifeguards) November 4, 2015
LA County lifeguards reopen beaches closed due to concerns about lightning from SoCal storm https://t.co/RWO6Efjz3I pic.twitter.com/Z12ZvvEvDi
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) November 4, 2015
*Update* lightning conditions seen off the Port of Los Angeles and San Pedro area. pic.twitter.com/I649UpiK9d
— LACoLifeguards (@LACoLifeguards) November 4, 2015
PHOTOS: Storm brings lightning, rainbow to Southland https://t.co/kHrBRe3sVe pic.twitter.com/LsiSqDKOt3
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) November 4, 2015
San Diego had their fair share of lightning strikes, too, that were caught on camera:
ZAP! Storm with lightning seen last night from San Diego, California. Photo: Robin Johnson. #Lightning #CAwx pic.twitter.com/QYeSbRwuYV
— Mark Tarello (@mark_tarello) November 4, 2015
Lightning over Lemon Grove, sent in by Joanna Lee; a look at where the rain hit hardest on #10newsat11 #SanDiego pic.twitter.com/Vy5wQEzvSG
— Michael Chen (@10NewsChen) November 4, 2015
Our #KUSINews viewers are capturing some amazing lightning shots!#KUSINews #StormWatch #Lightning pic.twitter.com/7ztBzOOoMX
— KUSI News (@KUSINews) November 4, 2015