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Thunderstorms light up California skies

News imageSBCFireInfo Extraordinary photo shows 10 lightning forks striking over a Santa Barbara wharfSBCFireInfo
Santa Barbara County Fire Department's Mike Eliason took this long exposure photo at Stearns Wharf

A spectacular thunderstorm has been spotted over Southern California, with the pick of the pictures coming from public servants.

The Santa Barbara fire department, highway patrol and sheriff's office all shared pictures taken during Tuesday night's thunderstorms in Santa Barbara.

According to the LA Times, the National Weather Service recorded 1,489 pulses of lightning off the coast of Santa Barbara between 20:00 and 21:00 PST (04:00 and 05:00 GMT).

News imageSBCFireInfo More forks of lightning over Stearns Wharf in Santa BarbaraSBCFireInfo
These stunning snaps by Mr Eliason were taken using an exposure of between 15 and 75 seconds
News imageSBCFireInfo More forks of lightning over Stearns Wharf in Santa BarbaraSBCFireInfo
The increased exposure allows the camera to take in more light and therefore capture multiple lightning forks in a single shot
News imageSB Sheriff's Office A single fork of lightning in less detailSB Sheriff's Office
This snap from a sheriff's deputy in the city of Goleta shows a single fork in less detail as it strikes
News imageBBC Presentational grey line

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Spectacular lightning illuminates California sky
News imageCHP_SantaBarb A final fork of lightning shown over the Santa Barbara skiesCHP_SantaBarb
Meanwhile, Santa Barbara country highway patrol shared this shot as they advised the public to stay off the roads in the harsh weather
News imageCHP_SantaBarb A lightning strike seen through a car windshieldCHP_SantaBarb
This advice came as many residents in areas burned by the 2018 Thomas Fire were told to evacuate in anticipation of mudslides

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