Red flag warnings issued with powerful winds expected to batter Southern California

Thousands of people could be without power due to the strong winds that are expected to batter Southern California in coming days as a new Santa Ana wind movement closes in. 

The National Weather Service issued a "particularly dangerous situation red flag warning" that went into effect at 8 p.m. Monday evening and was expected to last at least through 2 p.m. on Tuesday for regions that include the San Gabriel and Santa Monica Mountains and Calabasas, along with the San Gabriel, Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys and the Malibu coastline. 

This is the second PDS Warning that weather officials have issued in two months time, the last coming the week that the devastating Mountain Fire erupted in Ventura County, torching nearly 20,000 acres and destroyed almost 250 structures. 

Read more: What is defensible space and how to protect your home from wildfires

A standard red flag warning will then remain in effect until Wednesday at 6 p.m., NWS officials said. 

Peak winds could reach temperatures up to 65 miles per hour in some of the most wind-prone areas, while typical gusts are expected to range between 25 and 40 miles per hour. 

"Some of the windier foothills and mountains will likely see wind speeds of 30 to 50 mph with damaging wind gusts in the 60 to 80 mph range during the peak of the event into Tuesday," NWS officials said. "Some of the highest wind areas will likely be the San Gabriels, Santa Susanas, western Santa Monica into Malibu, Ventura county valleys (especially Simi Valley and Moorpark) and western San Fernando Valley (especially Highway 118/210 corridors from Porter Ranch to San Fernando)."

Paired with the low humidity levels, which could reach just 5% in some areas, weather officials note that the conditions bare a concerning similarity to those in early-November. 

Local fire departments have already started preparations. The Los Angeles County Fire Department says that they have "implemented its augmented staffing plan by ordering additional staffing plan by ordering additional staffing and pre-deployment of ground and aerial resources throughout the county."

Residents have been advised to have evacuation plans in place, especially if they live in more fire-prone areas. They're urged to report any signs of smoke or fire immediately. 

Southern California Edison is monitoring the situation and has already advised thousands of customers that they could be subject to having their power supply turned off in order to prevent electrical equipment from sparking fires during the winds.