Tropical Storm Kay breaks heat and rain records across Southern California
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Tropical Storm Kay has brought torrential rain and high temperatures to the Los Angeles area. The National Weather Service has issued a high risk of strong hurricane conditions during Wednesday and into Thursday for the area of southern California from near Santa Barbara to San Diego. The storm is headed west and is expected to remain over the region through Friday morning before beginning to weaken later on Thursday.
Storm conditions are expected to gradually improve by midday Thursday, but a return to a tropical storm will not take place until later Thursday or Friday morning. The National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm Watch at 7 p.m. Wednesday for the entire area from San Diego north to near Santa Barbara.
The forecast is for a 20 percent chance of tropical storm conditions through Thursday, then a 40 percent chance through Saturday before weakening into a tropical depression by Sunday afternoon or early afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. This is the second time in as many days that the storm has been designated a tropical storm, and there was only a 10 percent chance of another one.
The NWS listed Kay as a hurricane along the center of a tropical storm on Wednesday morning prior to becoming a tropical storm, but this is the first time a storm has made the transition from a hurricane in the history of the system.
The center of the system first made landfall on Wednesday morning, which brought high rainfall and high temperatures to Los Angeles County. The National Weather Service reported 7.21 inches of rain in the morning commute as well as highs in the 80s.
The high temperatures are the second highest for November 5th when compared to the same date last year. In fact, if this month’s statewide average were to hold, the highest temperatures would have been 87 degrees yesterday.
The heaviest rainfall, 12 inches, was concentrated in Los Angeles County, with the storms hitting Los Angeles, Pasadena, Long Beach