Riverside County experienced rain, flooding and high winds Sunday as the remnants of Post-Tropical Cyclone Rachel moved through the area.
A flood watch went into effect in the Coachella Valley at 11 p.m. Saturday and was expected to remain effective until 8 p.m. Sunday, while a wind advisory that went into effect at 2 a.m. Sunday in the Coachella Valley was expected to remain effective until 5 a.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
“As of 5:30 a.m., another wave of rainfall is pushing through the region. This rain is eventually expected to scatter out in the morning hours and become more isolated in the afternoon,” the NWS announced Sunday.
Along with the rain, southeast winds early Sunday will become west winds of about 25 to 35 mph and gusts of up to 50 mph in the Coachella Valley, according to the NWS.
Sunday’s temperatures were expected to reach a high of 70 in the downtown Riverside area, 67 in Temecula and Hemet, 79 in Coachella and 76 in Palm Springs. Monday’s highs were expected to drop by a few degrees, reaching 64 in the downtown Riverside area, 63 in Temecula, 62 in Hemet, 75 in Coachella and 71 in Palm Springs.
“Isolated showers continue for lower elevations, remaining scattered over the foothills/mountains through Monday morning. During the day Monday, the trough axis moves through, bringing a much more traditional round of light rainfall of around 0.05 inches to 0.25 inches through the coastal basin, with higher amounts in the mountains and rain shadowing the deserts,” the NWS announced.
On Sunday, firefighters rescued two people from vehicles that became trapped in flooded roads in separate incidents. The Riverside County Fire Department responded to Domenigoni Parkway and Leon Road in Winchester around 8:50 a.m. Sunday and safely escorted the sole occupant to higher ground. Leon Road between Olive Avenue and Domenigoni Parkway was closed due to the flooding.
Rescue crews also responded to E. San Jacinto Avenue and Murrieta Road around 9:25 a.m. Sunday. The sole occupant of that vehicle was able to climb onto its roof to await rescue, and a swiftwater rescue team deployed an inflatable rescue boat to reach the person and safely escort the motorist out.
The weather also prompted the two-day Head Trip electronic music festival in Indio to end early Saturday night. A performance by Calvin Harris was canceled, leaving fans disappointed, but Harris was added to Sunday’s lineup.
The Indio Police Department said the decision was made under a unified command, including the Indio PD, the Riverside County Fire Department and promoter Goldenvoice.
“This was done out of abundance of caution due to weather conditions,” police said.
The festival was expected to continue Sunday, opening its doors at 3 p.m., with Harris performing from 9:10 p.m. to 10:40 p.m. before Swedish House Mafia’s closing performance at 11 p.m.
Temperatures were expected to begin climbing again by a few degrees each day starting Tuesday until next weekend, reaching the mid- to upper 80s again throughout the county.