(CNN) Meteorologists in California told CNN on Thursday they were surprised at how fast Orange County's devastating brush fire moved overnight, as it tore through the city of Laguna Niguel and destroyed at least 20 multimillion-dollar homes and mansions. "It's way too early" for a fire like that in Southern California, said Bill South, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Hanford. And as everyone knows, we're in a drought here throughout the entire state of California." Winter and spring are typically the wet seasons for California, but this year has been anything but — especially in the southern half of the state. Los Angeles and Palm Springs are off to their third- and second-driest start to a year, respectively.

Source: CNN May 13, 2022 04:41 UTC