Nearly 2,600 lightning strikes hit Central Coast during storm. See photos, video

If you were up late Tuesday night, chances are you caught that “chaotic” storm that lit up the San Luis Obispo County sky with thunder and lightning for most of the night.

According to the National Weather Service’s forecast discussion, moisture from a monsoon increased chances for showers and thunderstorms Tuesday and Wednesday across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

“It could be some heavy rain, maybe some hail, gusty winds, a lot of weather elements we don’t see a whole lot of — especially this time of year,” Mike Wofford, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, told The Tribune. “So it’s going to be pretty, pretty chaotic, we think.”

And it was true to its word.

The National Weather Service recorded roughly 2,600 lightning strikes across the Central Coast on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.

According to its latest forecast discussion, the storm seems to have mostly dissipated as it moved north, though there was still the potential for a “scattered shower or two across interior SLO County this afternoon and evening as there’s still some instability and moisture lingering there.”

For those who missed the rare light show, check out these photos and videos from Tuesday night.

Have your own pics or video from the storm? Share them with The Tribune by emailing kleslie@thetribunenews.com.

This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 11:24 AM with the headline "Nearly 2,600 lightning strikes hit Central Coast during storm. See photos, video."

Kaytlyn Leslie

The Tribune

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Kaytlyn Leslie writes about business and development for The San Luis Obispo Tribune. Hailing from Nipomo, she also covers city governments and happenings in San Luis Obispo. She joined The Tribune in 2013 after graduating from Cal Poly with her journalism degree.