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By Joe Edwards
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The Santa Ana winds are expected to pick back up this week, after they fueled multiple deadly wildfires that caused widespread destruction in Southern California.
Why It Matters
Firefighters battled numerous blazes across the area last week, some of which have been contained while others continue to rage.
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At least 24 people in the Los Angeles area have died and thousands of homes have been destroyed.
What To Know
At the time this article was written, the NWS had red flag warnings in place in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernadino, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties.
Sustained winds are expected to reach 50 mph, with gusts in the mountains climbing to 70 mph, AP reported. Fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns warned at a community meeting Sunday night that Tuesday will be the most dangerous day, per AP.
Red flag warnings are not necessarily a prediction of where fires will move next, but they do mean there is an increased risk of fire danger due to a combination of warm temperatures, very low humidity and stronger winds.
AccuWeather has predicted wind gusts between 40-60 miles per hour Monday to Tuesday night, warning of extreme fire risk and blowing dust for much of southern California.
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According to The Weather Channel, Santa Ana winds occur when cold air from the Great Basin is squeezed and heated as it is funneled through California's mountain ranges, causing it to accelerate. They are triggered by a high-pressure cold front over the Great Basin that forces air into the low-pressure areas of Southern California.
What People Are Saying
National Weather Service (NWS) Los Angeles said on X, formerly Twitter: "Heads up! Strong, locally damaging, NE/E winds will affect West LA Co. & much of Ventura Co thru Wednesday. Critical fire weather is expected, so PLEASE have multiple ways of getting notifications in case of new fires & prepare ahead of time."
NWS San Diego said on X: "Yet another round of Santa Ana winds are expected this week with winds picking up Monday. In combination with critically dry vegetation and low humidity, elevated to locally critical fire weather conditions will continue through late Wednesday."
What Happens Next
At the time this article was written, the latest red flag warnings from the NWS were in place until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Forecasts are subject to change and the NWS issues updates regularly.
A Sunday update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the Eaton fire was 27 percent contained, the Palisades fire was 13 percent contained, and the Hurst fire was 89 percent contained.
Authorities confirmed to Newsweek on Saturday that the Lidia fire had been fully contained. The Archer fire and Kenneth fire were also reportedly contained as of Sunday morning.
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