Fire Department to Hoist the Red Flag

The Southland basked in bright sunshine and above-normal temperatures as high surf pounded the coastline on the eve of another assault by monster winds.

Santa Ana winds were expected to begin battering the Southland Friday afternoon and continue for most of the day Saturday. National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters said humidity levels will likely drop Friday night, prompting them to issue a red flag warning of wildfire conditions beginning at 8 p.m. Friday and continuing until 6 p.m. Saturday.

"During this time, widespread single-digit humidities are expected to occur across Los Angeles and Ventura counties," according to an NWS advisory, which noted that "very dry conditions" will combine with the winds to create the possibility of wildfires.

"While offshore winds are expected to be much weaker on Saturday night and Sunday, widespread single-digit humidities are expected to prevail through the weekend," according to the NWS.

The red flag warning will be in effect for Los Angeles County mountains, the Santa Monica Mountains recreational area, Angeles National Forest, coastal areas and the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys.

Forecasters warned that the high winds will cause hazardous driving conditions, particularly in mountain passes.

"Strong winds will make driving difficult, especially for motorists with high-profile vehicles," according to the Weather Service. "The strong winds could also produce property damage, including downed trees and power lines."

The winds were expected to drop off dramatically Saturday night.

In the meantime, a large west-to-northwest swell built off the coast today, producing high surf and creating the potential for dangerous rip currents along the Central Coast and along the coastline south of Point Conception, according to the NWS.

"The surf is expected to peak tonight into early Friday morning," according to an NWS advisory, but perilous conditions will persist through Friday night.

Friday's highs will be a few degrees lower than Thursday, marking the start of a cooling trend but not an end to the sunshine, which will continue to bathe the region for several days.

-- City News Service