Lightning show electrifies Bay Area skies

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Tropical monsoon causes lightning strikes

Tropical monsoon causes lightning strikes.

Bay Area residents were treated to a lightning show decorating the sky early Tuesday morning, with electric streaks seen throughout the region in Gilroy, Livermore, Vallejo, Napa and beyond. 

A viewer named Emily K. even got out of bed, took some video of lightning strikes over her home in Burlingame at 4:45 a.m. and sent it in to KTVU for all to see. 

The National Weather Service said that several fires had even started Tuesday morning in Monterey and Fresno counties because of lightning. 

In fact, there were at least 5,000 lightning strikes that the NWS documented in the Central Valley and East Bay through 5:30 a.m.

KTVU meteorologist Steve Paulson said the lightning will likely just be a morning event, and is caused by tropical monsoonal moisture, which is pretty common for September. 

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