Windmill turning
Photo courtesy National Weather Service

A storm system is bringing cool and blustery weather to the San Diego area and throughout the Southland Monday — with gale force winds and rough seas at the coast and damaging gusts possible in the mountains.

The winds will weaken overnight, but the autumn chill — with highs reaching only about 68 degrees in San Diego Monday — will last into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. A warming trend will follow for the remainder of the week.

A wind advisory is in effect from 1 p.m. Monday afternoon through 3 a.m. Tuesday among beach cities along the San Diego coastline as well as in the valleys and deserts. A high surf advisory also is in place from noon Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday.

At the coast Monday evening, NWS officials predict northeast winds of 15 to 20 mph could be accompanied by gusts up to 35 mph; in the valleys, south winds of 15 to 20 mph are forecast, with gusts to clock in as high as 35 mph; and, in the mountains, southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph could be joined by gusts as high as 65 mph.

There’s also a 20% chance of rain in the mountain areas.

NWS officials said the gusty winds could make driving difficult for high profile vehicles, and they warned that tree limbs may fall and cause power outages. People also are urged to secure all outdoor objects that could blow away.

–City News Service