National Weather Service had issued warnings of severe thunderstorms in the early hours, with thunderstorms forecast to continue into the night.

“A couple of storms could generate marginal severe weather due to intense downburst winds, mainly across northern mountains the Antelope Valley,” NWSLA said in a tweet.

Videos taken early morning showed the severity of the lightning strikes.

One clip posted to social media, where it has been viewed more than 35,000 times, shows a pitch black sky before multiple bolts of lightning light up the night sky.

Another video, with more than 35,000 views, shows a night sky lit by a single lightning bolt in the distance before the sound of thunder booms.

“The first hit of the thunder caught me off guard, sounded like a nuke, my whole building was shaking,” the video was captioned on Twitter.

Another Twitter video showed continuous lightning strikes in the distance. In this video some lightning strikes can be seen shortly after sunrise.

Other videos highlighted the loudness of the thunderclaps during the intense weather.

One Twitter user joked: “This thunderstorm in Los Angeles sounds like the wrath of God. ‘Thou shall lower thy value of homes and gas… Now.”

Another user, who posted a video, reported that the thunderclaps were so powerful they caused the walls to shake.

NWS issued advice for people to keep safe.

“Remember, when you hear thunder please head indoors,” it tweeted. “This is crucial because lightning is deadly. Dry lightning strikes may also cause a fire.”

It also advised to wait 30 minutes after a storm before resuming normal activities. Other precautionary measures advised were:

Seek shelter indoors or in a hard top vehicle if you hear thunderCampers and hikers: keep an eye to the sky as weather can quickly changeBoaters should stay in port if thunder is head

Weather conditions were expected to improve in the area on Thursday.

NWS Los Angeles forecasts light winds and sunny weather, with low of about 64 degrees Fahrenheit and highs of 86 degrees.

Earlier in the week, the NWS warned of wildfires due to hot conditions and dry lightning.

“Elevated Fire Danger is expected through the coming week due to hot conditions with low humidity,” NWSLA said on Monday.