New Red Flag Warning: Hazardous Hudson Valley Weather

High winds and dry conditions in Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester counties have led to a warning from the National Weather Service.

• Red Flag Warning in effect from April 19, 12:00 PM EDT until April 19, 08:00 PM EDT

A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior, the NWS said. That means that:

* AFFECTED AREA...ALL OF EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 TO 30 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...RANGING FROM THE MID 50S OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO THE MID 60S IN VALLEY AREAS.

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF DRY FUELS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS WILL MAKE FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW....OR WILL SHORTLY.