Lightning Due to Intense Monsoon Storms Sets Multiple Homes Ablaze in Phoenix

Monsoon storms that entered the Valley on Sunday evening caused issues for firefighters and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport as Monday, June 27, approaches. There have been several tree fires in south Phoenix neighborhoods that are thought to have been started by lightning.

According to the Phoenix Fire Department, firefighters extinguished at least three lightning-related house fires. Two were in the south of Phoenix, and one was in the north. In Arcadia, several fires were started by downed power lines close to 45th Street and Camelback Road. A facility for assisted living briefly lost power.

There have been no reported injuries. Rainwater at Phoenix Sky Harbor's Terminal 3's Gate E-5 area leaked. According to officials, crews are evaluating the damage and developing a fix to stop it from happening again.

(Photo : Photo: Royal Norman, Meteorologist at KTVK-TV / Twitter)

Around 4:15, a convergence of two outflows, namely one from the northwest and another from the south, resulted in a few isolated thunderstorms. The first rain that was noticeable fell in parts of Mesa and Apache Junction. One spot in the South Mountain region received almost an inch of rain as a result of the storms. Phoenix Sky Harbor broke the rainfall record with 0.18 inches of rain. The previous record was 0.07 inches of rain in 1927. It has been the 14th wettest June overall so far.

There have been several tree fires in south Phoenix neighborhoods that are thought to have been started by lightning. According to the Phoenix Fire Department, firefighters extinguished at least three lightning-related house fires. Two were in the south of Phoenix, and one was in the north.

In Arcadia, several fires were started by downed power lines close to 45th Street and Camelback Road. A facility for assisted living briefly lost power. There have been no reported injuries, according to authorities. The Phoenix Fire Department encourages the public to take safety precautions during monsoon season.

While some parts of the West Valley gathered a quarter of an inch of rain, most of the Valley was under a severe thunderstorm warning but it expired at 5:45 p.m. Meanwhile, Queen Valley and Apache Junction are under a flash flood warning lasting until 8:00 p.m., AZ Family reports.

Read also: Monsoonal Moisture Continues Across the Southwest US: Heavy Rain with Flash Flooding Expected 

The Weather Channel 10-Day Forecast and Air Quality Alert

According to The Weather Channel, partly cloudy skies will dominate the day with stray rain showers and thunderstorms. Tuesday will be met with more favorable Sunny weather with a very low chance of rain.

Thursday and Friday will be met with another slew of partly cloudy skies as the chance for scattered rain showers rise to 15%. Sunday, July 3, gets the highest chance (24%) of rainfall among the next 10 days. Monday will herald a very low chance of rainfall for the succeeding days. However, the lowest temperature for the next 10 days will happen on Tuesday night, July 5, at 82 degrees.

Arizona will be the host of skies that play around sunny and mostly sunny starting this Saturday, The Weather Channel reports on their website.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has extended an Ozone High Pollution Advisory for the Phoenix Metro Area through Monday at 9 p.m. This means that local maximum 8-hour ozone concentrations that pose a health risk are anticipated as a result of the forecasted weather conditions combined with the current ozone levels. As air quality declines, negative health effects become more pronounced.

Ozone is an air contaminant that can make it difficult for people to breathe, including elderly people, children, and those who already have respiratory issues. It's advised to cut back on physical activity.

The public is urged to carpool, work from home, or take public transportation. Reduce or postpone using gasoline-powered equipment during the day.

Related article: Storm Alert: Nearly 20,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded in New Zealand Recently