What started as blowing dust Monday night turned into the most severe monsoon storm to hit the Valley so far this summer.

Bursts of rain and damaging winds struck the Phoenix area around 6 p.m. Monday night, resulting in uprooted trees and felled power lines that left thousands of residents in the dark.

Fewer than 5,000 utility customers still remained without power early Tuesday afternoon. At the height of last night’s storm, about 100,000 customers were without power, reports from the Arizona Public Service Electric Co. and the Salt River Project show.

Winds speeds exceeded 70 mph in Glendale and Deer Valley,  the National Weather Service said. Meanwhile, winds at Luke Air Force Base reached 69 miles per hour, and Scottsdale and east Mesa had winds over 50 mph.

More than 4,000 lightning strikes and 35,000 flashes sparked within the clouds at the storm’s peak, the National Weather Service said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Mark O’Malley said that amount of lightning isn’t a record breaker, but it is more than what is seen during a typical monsoon storm.

Measurable rain fell over most of the Valley, data from the Maricopa Flood Control District show; outlying areas received the most precipitation. Nearly an inch of rain fell in Fountain Hills and north Scottsdale, while about a quarter inch of rain fell in downtown Phoenix.

Storm chances for the days ahead

O’Malley said it’s unlikely that another destructive storm will hit the Valley later this week.

There is less than a 10 percent chance of rain Tuesday in metropolitan Phoenix metro, with any potential storms staying north and east, O’Malley said. 

The storm chances increase to 20 percent on Wednesday and Thursday.

The forecast high temperature is 108 degrees this week, with lows forecast to reach 81 degrees, the National Weather Service said. For an extended forecast, visit weather.azcentral.com.

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