[Update: 6:26 p.m.] All L.A. County beaches have reopened following an earlier closure due to lightning in the area.
All Los Angeles County beaches are temporarily closed due to lightning, according to an alert issued by the City of Malibu.
The alert, available on the City’s website, states that the US National Weather Service has issued a thunderstorm watch for Orange and L.A. Counties.
According to the National Weather Service, as of 4:52 p.m., “doppler radar showed a band of showers and thunderstorms moving northwest across Los Angeles County at around 20 mph. These storms will continue to affect the area through 6 p.m. this evening and are expected to cross the Los Angeles metro area through 5:30 p.m.”
Residents and visitors are advised to avoid beaches until the storm passes.
In addition, there is some danger of funnel clouds forming during the storm.
“Conditions are favorable for the formation of funnel clouds in coastal areas,” reads the NWS forecast.