The service also issued and then canceled a tornado warning for central Orange County shortly after midnight. The warning applied to areas including Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and Irvine.
The service said a "severe thunderstorm likely producing a tornado" was observed shortly before 10 p.m. near far eastern portions of Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpinteria and Summerland. It will continue to move north into the Santa Ynez Mountains.
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Residents in the area are warned to seek shelter and that flying debris can cause damage to buildings, vehicles and trees, along with people outside.
By about 10:30 p.m. the service said the warning was canceled and the storm had slightly weakened.
While the tornado warning was active, the service advised:
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"TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris."
Hail the size of pennies was also possible, the NWS said. The impacted area was estimated to have a population of about 23,000.