The Southland remained in the cross hairs of a wildfire threat today amid unseasonably high heat, gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity.
A red flag warning indicating a risk of wildfire will stay in effect in mountain, forest and valley areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties until early this evening.
In Santa Monica, the National Weather Service forecasts a high of 93 today, 89 on Saturday, and 83 on Sunday before dropping back to high 70s early next week.
Valley areas are expected to experience temperatures in the 100s today and even higher temperatures Saturday.
“The combination of rising temperatures, very low humidity and offshore breezes in combination with critically dry vegetation will bring a high fire danger to much of southwest California through this weekend,” according to a National Weather Service statement.
Winds of between 15 and 20 miles per hour are expected in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains today, gusting to 35 mph, NWS forecasters said.
This morning’s strongest gusts in L.A. County were reported in the San Gabriels: 32 mph in Warm Springs, 29 mph at Whitaker Peak, and 27 mph in Chilao.
The humidity level will be between 4 and 10 percent today, and mountain temperatures will be in the 90s.
