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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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A rare severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Southern California on Monday, signaling an unusual bout of volatile weather as forecasters warn that conditions are favorable for isolated tornadoes.
More than 90,000 people in Southern California were given minutes to take shelter on Monday morning as National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists issued a severe thunderstorm warning for San Luis Obispo and surrounding areas. The warning told people in the affected area to be alert for possible tornadoes.
The NWS office in Oxnard issued the severe thunderstorm warning at 6:38 a.m. local time on Monday, giving people in the affected area minutes to seek shelter from a line of severe thunderstorms moving north from Morro Bay at a speed of 35 mph. This particular warning is set to remain in place until 7:15 a.m. local time, although similar warnings could be issued as the severe thunderstorm threat is expected to persist across Southern California throughout the day on Monday.
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Newsweek contacted the NWS office in Oxnard for comment by phone.
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"Thunderstorms are expected Monday across the Los Angeles Basin, northern portions of the Central Valley and coastal Southern California," AccuWeather told Newsweek in an email sent to reporters on Monday morning. "Storms could produce damaging wind gusts, frequent lightning, downpours and an isolated tornado. The risk zone includes densely populated areas from San Luis Obispo County south through San Diego County, with additional spin-up tornado potential around the Sacramento Valley."
People within the storm's path were told to expect damage to roofs, siding and trees. Cities in the warning area include San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Morro Bay, Atascadero, Cambria, Templeton, Avila Beach, Cayucos, Baywood-Los Osos, Diablo Canyon and Shell Beach.
"Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms," the NWS warning said. "If you spot a tornado go at once into the basement or small central room in a sturdy structure. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways."
In addition to the tornado threat, meteorologists warned of large hail up to 0.75 inches in size and max wind gusts of about 60 mph.
Tornadoes are uncommon in California, usually occurring around 11 times per year while 155 tornadoes strike Texas in an average year, according to the Weather Channel.
The severe storm threat is lashing Southern California while a potent winter storm dumps as much as 8 feet of snow in the high elevation parts of Northern and Central California on Monday.
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