Gusts of wind destroy power lines and topple trees in Southern California

Several homes were left without electricity after powerful wind gusts measuring 89 mph destroyed power lines and toppled trees in the Santa Ana area.

According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, about 23,000 customers within the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles lost their electricity and without power after the wind; and a large tree was knocked down and destroyed a family kitchen in Van Nuys. A large billboard in Burbank also suffered the same fate from the powerful gusts of wind.

East of Los Angeles, several residents also reported power outage in Fontana and parts of San Bernadino County. The strong winds started on Friday night and might die down around Saturday evening.

According to the National Weather Service, a gauge taken in the mountains close to Julian in San Diego County registered a gust of about 89 mph at 7:30 a.m.

Several highs were also recorded in several cities as a result of high-pressure ridge. One degree hotter than the 1990 record, Newport Beach recorded a high of 80; Laguna Beach recorded a high of 82 to tie with a 1968 record, and Santa Maria recorded 82 to tie with a 1935 record.

Santa Ana winds are generated during cooler months when westward currents reach fierce speeds as they squeeze through Southern California mountain ranges, lowering humidity and making vegetation susceptible to fire; it can also be said to be the hot dry wind that blows in winter from the deserts of Southern California toward the Pacific Coast.

High-surf authorities announced that the gusts of winds blew two kayakers off the coast of Malibu to sea on Saturday, and it was the timely intervention of lifeguards from the Los Angeles County Fire Department that ensured that a search was conducted for the missing kayakers – and they were located and helped back to shore almost an hour after being blown out to sea. There is therefore an advisory warning of up to 11-foot-high surf through to Sunday.