Southern California Warned of Risk for 'Large Life-Threatening Wildfires'
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Portions of Southern California have been warned of a risk posed by "large life-threatening wildfires" amid "unseasonably" strong winds, the National Weather Service (NWS) says.
Why It Matters
Southern California was battered by concurrent deadly wildfires in January. The Palisades and Eaton Fires scorched thousands of acres, destroyed thousands of buildings and prompted mass evacuations, some lasting weeks.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom came under scrutiny from both sides of the aisle as questions concerning water pressure and access persisted. Bass ultimately removed city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley in February following the deadly blazes.
What To Know
According to an alert from the NWS, in part, "A late season trough now pushing into California has put an end to the heat from earlier in the week with unseasonably strong northwest to north winds likely across the region through Saturday."
The areas that could see the strong winds include portions of Ventura, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Counties. The mountain regions could see gusts of 30 to 50 miles per hour, the agency adds.
Southwest Santa Barbara County from Gaviota to Refugio could see gusts Friday afternoon into the night of 65 miles per hour, the NWS says. Ventura County, the mountains and Antelope Valley foothills of Los Angeles County near the I-5 corridor and the interior mountains of Santa Barbara County could also see gusts into Saturday.
"Isolated power outages, downed trees, and an increased risk for large life threatening wildfires will be possible with the strong and potentially damaging winds," the NWS warns.
"Widespread Wind Advisories and more focused High Wind Warnings are in place for the areas with the highest confidence in wind impacts. Much weaker winds are anticipated into Sunday for most areas in Breezy northwest to onshore wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph," the alert says.
In January, strong winds were top of mind for Los Angeles County officials as the fires spread rapidly, facilitated by the intense gusts.
In a March 11 aerial view of Altadena, California, surviving trees and new greenery can be seen following recent rains amid homes destroyed in the Eaton Fire. (Photo by)
In a March 11 aerial view of Altadena, California, surviving trees and new greenery can be seen following recent rains amid homes destroyed in the Eaton Fire. (Photo by)
What People Are Saying
NWS Los Angeles on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: "Hazardous winds peaking today and Saturday - strongest 2-9pm. Boaters should stay in safe harbor. Drivers, watch for road debris and blowing dust. Isolated power outages and downed trees possible. Elevated risk of grass fires - stay aware of your surroundings. #cawx"
NWS Fire and Weather Program Manager David Gomberg told Newsweek Friday: "A low pressure system is kind of unusual to move into the area this late into the season. These are more reminiscent to springtime conditions."
Gomberg added, "the winds are in areas where the January wildfires weren't so there is still a lot of vegetation that could burn."
What Happens Next
The inland areas of Southern California are expected to experience a "warming trend" starting on Sunday. But the warmup will still bring below-normal temperatures, the NWS says.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Tropical Storm Gil briefly becomes hurricane: See tracker
Tropical Storm Gil strengthened to become a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean before weakening again, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tropical Storm Gil strengthened to become a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean before weakening again into a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center said Aug. 2. As of 5 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Saturday, Aug. 2, Tropical Storm Gil was about 1,250 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California, far from the Hawaiian islands. There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, according to the hurricane center, part of the National Weather Service. Gil was a tropical storm on Friday, Aug. 1, before becoming a hurricane overnight. Then, it was downgraded back to a tropical storm on Saturday morning. When a tropical storm's winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane. Maximum sustained winds decreased to 70 mph with higher gusts, forecasters said. Tropical storm-force winds extended outward to 140 miles from Gil's center. Context: A key sign of hurricane activity has flipped into high gear The storm is expected to continue weakening through the weekend, the hurricane center said. It will be come post-tropical as early as Sunday. It was moving west-northwest near 20 mph, and it was expected to continue through the weekend. By Monday, the system is forecast to move more slowly westward. Also in the Pacific, Tropical Depression Iona, over 1,400 miles west of Honolulu, continued weakening as it was expected to cross the International Date Line on Saturday, according to a hurricane center advisory. Tropical Storm Gil path tracker This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time. Tropical Storm Gil spaghetti models This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time. How do hurricanes form? Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water. Clusters of thunderstorms can develop over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression. A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reach 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane. Prepare now for hurricanes Delaying potentially life-saving preparations could mean waiting until it's too late. "Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period," NOAA recommends.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
515-Mile Lightning Bolt, as Big as 7,553 Football Fields, Breaks World Record
The powerful megaflash extended from eastern Texas to Kansas City in MissouriNEED TO KNOW The World Meteorological Organization confirmed a new world record for lightning discharge distance The powerful lightning bolt, also known as a megaflash, stretched 515 miles from eastern Texas to Kansas City, Mo. The average lightning bolt size is 10 to 12 milesAn electric weather phenomenon just broke a world record. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on July 31 that a megaflash has set a new world record for lightning discharge distance. The massive lightning bolt — stretching 515 miles — struck on Oct. 22, 2017, and extended from eastern Texas to Kansas City in Missouri. PEOPLE calculated that it was roughly as long as 7,553 football fields. Compared to the new 515-mile world record, the average lightning bolt size is 10 to 12 miles, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record was a 477-mile megaflash that struck from Texas to Mississippi in April 2020, according to a July 2025 WMO video. Researchers verified the new record using satellite technology. The new findings, published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, explained the importance of documenting megaflashes. 'Documenting extreme cases of megaflashes — where nearly the entire electrified stratiform region in storms spanning multiple states is discharged all at once — is important for lightning physics to understand the limits of what lightning in expansive charge reservoirs is capable of, and for lightning safety by revealing the maximum extent of lightning hazards from the most impactful individual flashes on Earth,' scientists wrote. Researchers continued in the newly published report: 'Each new extreme event identified provides insights into the context, locations, and environments conducive to expansive flashes that are necessary to ultimately answer the question of why certain organized convective systems produce megaflashes while other similar systems produce none.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
NYC flooding pours into subway as state declares emergency
STORY: :: Chantal McLaughlin :: Flooding in New York City pours into the subway as the state declares an emergency :: July 31, 2025 :: New York :: Train service has been suspended in some parts of the city :: Newark, New Jersey Reuters was able to independently verify the location of the videos by the New York City subway design that matched file imagery as well as confirmation by the source. The date when the video was filmed was verified by original file metadata. Train service has been suspended in some parts of the city as a state of emergency was declared for the Bronx, Delaware, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester and Contiguous Counties. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and her acting counterpart in New Jersey said they were declaring states of emergency for areas facing the threat of extreme flash floods forecast on Thursday (July 31) for much of the Eastern Seaboard. The National Weather Service posted flash flood warnings along parts of the Northeast urban corridor stretching from the Washington-Baltimore region north through Philadelphia, Wilmington, Delaware, and into the New York City metropolitan area. Severe thunderstorm watches were also in effect across much of the Interstate-95 corridor. Up to 5 inches (12.7 cm) of rain was forecast in the heaviest bands of showers expected across New York City, Long Island and the Hudson River Valley, with rainfall rates that could exceed 2 inches per hour, according to a statement from Hochul. The Weather Service attributed the storm threat to a cold front that was bringing a combination of unstable air mass and exceptional amounts of atmospheric moisture to the region.
