Santa Ana winds and a red flag warning come to the Inland Empire

Strong winds, dry conditions, and warmer temperatures are forecasted for the Inland Empire on Friday.

Strong gusty winds are expected for hours in the region, and about 74,000 Southern California Edison customers in Riverside and San Bernardino counties have been warned that power could be shut off for public safety.

Gusts between 30 and 40 mph are possible in windier areas. For possibly up to six hours in the afternoon, a few areas will have combined sustained (northerly) winds of 25 mph and gusts of 35-plus when humidity will be less than 15%,  according to the National Weather Service.

The red flag warning, which implies higher wildfire risks, will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, while a wind advisory will remain in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday.

"Especially given the dry (vegetation), there will be elevated to critical fire weather conditions, from the San Bernardino Mountains southwest through the Inland Empire and to the Santa Ana Mountains," the NWS stated.

Other areas that may face an SCE power shutoff include Inyo County, 359 customers; Los Angeles County, 23,849 customers; Mono County, 888 customers; Orange County, 7,794 customers and Ventura County, 14,093 customers.