Strong Winds Mean Increased Fire Danger Near Lake Elsinore, Wildomar

By City News Service:

Strong Santa Ana winds will increase the risk of wildfire in Riverside County Monday, meteorologists said.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning and a high wind warning for valley areas in the Riverside metropolitan area and Riverside County mountains Monday-- but not the Coachella Valley.

A red flag warning denotes a combination of weather conditions that could contribute to extreme fire behavior, including strong winds and very low humidity.

The red flag warning will be in force from 4 a.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Wednesday, and humidity levels will fall into the single digits each day, with poor overnight recovery through Thanksgiving, forecasters said.

The high wind warning for metropolitan areas was already in effect early Monday. Meanwhile, the high wind warning for the mountains was scheduled to start at 4 p.m. The warning is scheduled to expire at noon Wednesday in both areas. A high wind warning is issued whenever there are winds strong enough to cause property damage.

Sustained winds in the mountains Monday were expected to be out of the northeast and blow at between 25 and 35 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 60 mph. Similar wind speeds were expected in metropolitan areas, with speeds increasing throughout the day.

Motorists were warned to watch for broken tree limbs and other debris on the roadways.