A dire warning has been issued for the Los Angeles area after forecasters said it could be the strongest winds in more than a decade.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Los Angeles said “life-threatening, destructive and widespread storms” were expected Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning.
Wind damage is expected in most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, causing widespread power outages.
“Strong winds are blowing,” the NWS said. “This is a particularly dangerous situation. In other words, this is the worst situation in terms of fire weather. Please be aware of your surroundings and prepare to evacuate, especially if you are in a high fire risk area. Please be careful around fire.”
The strongest winds will blow through Southern California from Tuesday evening into Wednesday afternoon, with gusts up to nearly 130 mph. Isolated areas in the mountains and foothills will experience wind gusts of 80 to 160 mph.
Flights to and from Los Angeles International Airport may expect delays as forecasters warn of mountain waves that are “extremely dangerous” for pilots. Airlines and pilots are being asked not to fly near terrain during storms.
Widespread damaging winds and low humidity are also leading to extreme fire concerns in most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
NWS Los Angeles said Tuesday’s storm could be the strongest since 2011. The 2011 storm toppled trees and downed power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without power.
Winds are expected to ease by Wednesday night, but the threat of high winds will return to the area on Friday.
