Santa Ana winds and dangerous fire weather conditions are returning to Southern California

LOS ANGELES – Santa Ana winds are expected to sweep across Southern California this week, bringing dangerous fire weather conditions to much of the region.

According to the National Weather Service, the strongest winds are expected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties starting Sunday evening and continuing into Monday afternoon.

“At the height of the Santa Ana event, northeast winds are expected, with gusts of 55-80 mph in the mountains and 35-55 mph in the valleys,” forecasters said.

“The strong winds will cause relative humidity to drop to 10 to 20 degrees. The strong winds and low humidity, combined with critically dry fuels, will bring widespread, critical fire weather conditions in many areas of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, resulting in a red flag warning.” Warnings: If a fire breaks out, it will The fire is likely to spread quickly.

Advisory level strong winds are forecast for the western San Fernando Valley, Simi Valley, Santa Clarita Valley and Hwy 14 corridor, portions of the Conejo Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains.

Winds are expected to ease Monday afternoon into Tuesday, according to the NWS.