Critical Wildfire Conditions Warning Issued For NYC, Forecasters Say

NEW YORK CITY— A Red Flag Warning is in effect on Tuesday for New York City until 6 p.m. Tuesday, as fast-moving winds and dry conditions increase the risk of wildfires, The National Weather Service said.

A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are expected or occurring, and a combination of low humidity, strong winds, and dry grass and leaves will significantly elevate fire growth potential.

Temperatures will reach a high of 55 degrees and a low of 36 degrees on Tuesday — which is considered more typical for this time of year — after a historically warm Halloween, according to Accuweather.

Paired with gusty winds from the northwest ranging from 16-27 miles per hour, this will make it feel even cooler outdoors.

Over the weekend, Prospect Park experienced two brush fires during a Red Flag Warning, first on Friday night and then again on Saturday, catching on dry leaves, grass and trees.

Even though it rained a quarter of an inch on Sunday night in New York City, it was not enough to end the dry conditions, National Weather Service Meteorologist David Stark told Patch.

This week, the city has a 20 percent chance of rain on Thursday, but the forecast for the rest of the week and weekend is dry, he said.

The National Weather Service's New York office put out a statement about Tuesday's Red Flag Warning, saying, "Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged. Be sure to properly extinguish or dispose of any potential ignition sources, including smoking materials such as cigarette butts."

The Red Flag Warning is also in effect for the Hudson Valley, Long Island, southwest Connecticut and northeast New Jersey, where an unprecedented wildfire rages on.

Drought Watch Continues

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officially declared a drought watch for 15 New York counties, including New York City, due to declining groundwater levels on Nov. 2, and it is still in effect as of Nov. 11.

Complicating the issue, the city is repairing a leaking aqueduct that brings water from the Catskills to the city, so residents are relying on the reservoirs in the city's suburbs more than usual.

A watch is the first of four levels of drought advisories — they escalate in severity from a drought watch to a drought warning, a drought emergency, and finally, a drought disaster.

For a drought watch, there are no mandatory restrictions, but people are encouraged to voluntarily decrease their water use by fixing running toilets, reporting leaking fire hydrants, and sweeping sidewalks instead of hosing them down, DEC officials said.

State and city government agencies are now making plans to conserve water and are encouraging New Yorkers to do their part as well, Mayor Eric Adams said.

"Mother Nature is in charge, and so we must adjust based on the lack of water and rain we have received," Adams said in an Instagram video when the drought watch was first announced.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.