A low pressure system spinning off the coast of California was triggering rain showers and storms around the Bay Area on Monday morning.
The National Weather Service issued a special marine statement on Monday morning warning of a line of storms that was quickly approaching San Francisco and the Peninsula. In its advisory, the agency noted that some of these storm systems could contain waterspouts, small hail and wind gusts in excess of 45 mph. This line of storms brought small hail to parts of the East Bay like El Cerrito and Barley.
A secondary strong line of storms formed across the South Bay and Santa Cruz early on Monday afternoon. Radar detected broad rotation in these storms as they came ashore, prompting the National Weather Service to advise of possible landspouts around Watsonville and Las Lomas. Landspouts differ from traditional tornadoes and are generally weaker. They form by rapidly spinning up from the surface and connecting to the base of a cloud.
- Live storm map : See where rain is hitting California and Bay Area
Heavy rain showers with small hail and gusty winds will remain a threat for the entire region through Monday morning and into the afternoon. Rainfall rates will generally remain under the threshold for widespread urban flooding, but some of the heavier cells could result in some brief reduction in visibility and some ponding on roads…