Santa Ana winds sweeping through Southland

PORTER RANCH, Calif.

Building high pressure over the great basin will generate gusty northeasterly winds through the afternoon - especially for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Peak wind gusts could reach 45 mph in the local mountains and valley areas.

A wind advisory is in effect for the Orange County coast, San Bernardino and Riverside county valleys and the Inland Empire. A wind advisory is also in effect for the Ventura County coast, the Los Angeles County coast including downtown Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Mountains, excluding the Santa Monica Range. Some advisories are slated to expire at noon, while others are slated to expire at 3 p.m.

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Although the blustery conditions are not bad enough to trigger red flag warnings, the warm, windy and dry weather is increasing wildfire concerns in the area.

Capt. Christopher Cooper with the Los Angeles City Fire Department said crews will be at the ready in case a fire breaks out.

"We've called in extra resources for the wind conditions today, extra engine companies, extra brush controls. We've placed our special resources on standby, on recall, and that includes our bulldozers, our helicopters and all the other special resources designed to extinguish brushfires," said Cooper.

The wind is expected to calm down by late Wednesday afternoon, and temperatures should drop a bit for Thursday.

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