Tropical Storm Kay bringing winds, rain to north San Diego County communities

Rain.+%28Pete+Nowicki%2C+Unsplash%29

Rain. (Pete Nowicki, Unsplash)

North Coast Current

Wind gusts along north coastal San Diego County reached upward of 50 mph early Friday, Sept. 9, as bands of Tropical Storm Kay continued to move through San Diego County.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the county as of 1:01 p.m. lasting until 4:01 p.m. Forecasters predicted an excessive rainfall risk for the region for Friday and Saturday.

The storm’s arrival brought hot overnight temperatures as well. Communities from Encinitas to Oceanside experienced overnight temperatures in the high 80s by about 4 a.m.

Graphic shows San Diego County wind gust reports from the National Weather Service. (NWS graphic)
Graphic shows San Diego County wind gust reports from the National Weather Service. (NWS graphic)

A National Weather Service update just after 3:30 a.m. showed wind gusts hitting 52 mph in Oceanside on the coast and 55 mph inland in Escondido.

As of 12:43 p.m. Friday, top local wind gusts reported were 52 mph in Escondido, 47 mph in the Encinitas community of Olivenhain and 45 mph in Fallbrook. The highest wind gust in the county was 109 mph at Cuyamaca Peak.

The storm also started bringing steady rain locally as a prolonged heatwave continued to bake the Southwest. Over the past week, temperatures in North County communities routinely hit the high 80s to low 90s along the coast to the high 90s to low 100s inland under prolonged excessive heat warnings.

Rainfall totals were also coming in from stations reporting to the National Weather Service.

As of just after 12 p.m. Friday, rainfall totals were:

Carlsbad: .19 inches (airport)
Encinitas: .10 inches
Escondido: .11 inches
Fallbrook: .08 inches
Oceanside: .12 inches
San Marcos: .14 inches

San Diego mountain and desert communities were experiencing heavier rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.

As of 11 a.m. Friday, the National Hurricane Center reported that Tropical Storm Kay continued to move north-northwest through Baja to off the coast of San Diego. The storm was located about 140 miles south of San Diego, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.

An excessive heat warning remained in effect through 8 p.m. Friday, and a high-wind warning was in effect through midnight Saturday, Sept. 10. There was also a high-surf advisory.

Graphic shows San Diego County excessive rainfall risks from the National Weather Service. (NWS graphic)
Graphic shows San Diego County excessive rainfall risks from the National Weather Service. (NWS graphic)

encinitas current, cardiff current