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Firefighters, exhausted Bay Area residents and meteorologists were bracing for another round of unsettled weather, lightning and wind expected to create more havoc Sunday afternoon through Monday.
On Sunday night, firefighters were responding to reports of at least one lightning strike north of Highway 152 near the San Luis Reservoir that appeared to have started small fires with little immediate spread.
Lightning reported on the SE flank of the SCU complex
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) August 24, 2020
#SCULightningComplex – Units in the area of the previously reported downstrike, have 3 confirmed new fires outside the line but none are building in size yet. Area north of Hwy 152, near the San Luis Reservoir.
— CA Fire Scanner (@CAFireScanner) August 24, 2020
#SCULightningComplex – Units in the area of Hwy 152 & San Luis Reservoir reporting possibly up to 6 fires now. Largest is a 1/2 acre in grass w/ slow ROS. Units have not observed any cloud to ground lightning in over 45 minutes. Copter requested first thing in the morning.
— CA Fire Scanner (@CAFireScanner) August 24, 2020
The National Weather Service was predicting another round of scattered thunderstorms reaching the area around Santa Cruz Sunday evening, with a red flag warning set to last through 5 p.m. Monday. Dry lightning, possible sparking new fires, and strong winds would pose another huge challenge to firefighters battling the three large complex fires burning hundreds of thousands of acres around the Bay Area.
What to do – and not do – during a thunderstorm with lightning strikes
Those living near the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, including tens of thousands of evacuees, were no doubt hoping that the typically thick marine layer that settles over the coast and Santa Cruz mountains would return to bring some much-needed moisture and slow the fires. But the dry mountains didn’t get a break overnight Saturday into Sunday, with a thin marine layer and very low humidity at higher altitudes, where most of the fires are burning.
The weather service cited low humidity, gusty winds, and the possibility of lightning as causes for concern in the red flag warning, noting that new fire starts caused by lightning “may combine with strong outflow winds to cause a fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them.”
Fire crews across California are stretched thin due to the proliferation of hundreds of blazes, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.A round of thunderstorms and lightning last weekend, on top of a heat wave, sparked the fires now burning in much of the state. An update from the NWS on Sunday afternoon said the storms would be coming up the coast from the south throughout the night.
These thunderstorms are remnants of Hurricane Genevieve, which was a Category 4 hurricane on Tuesday before dissipating as it hit Baja California.
Brian Garcia, a meteorologist with the NWS, said the storms didn’t look “terribly impressive” around 2:30pm on Sunday, but were expected to “intensify” throughout the night as the storms reached the Bay Area.
Smoky air has continued to settle around the Bay Area as over a million acres have burned statewide. As of Sunday afternoon, nearly the entire Bay Area had air quality levels deemed unhealthy for all groups, with a few spots of very unhealthy air around Vallejo, and some spots of slightly better air in San Francisco and Berkeley, though changes in wind pattern with the storms Sunday night were expected to change where the smoke will flow.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Spare the Air Alert through Wednesday, August 26, and smoke from the fires is not expected to disappear anytime soon. “Air quality is expected to be unhealthy with the heaviest impacts in the East Bay and Santa Clara Valley,” the BAAQMD said in a press release.
Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the air district, reminded residents to stay indoors, and keep the windows closed. “In the midst of a pandemic, it is more important than ever for residents to limit time outdoors to protect their health,” he said. The board also recommends that residents set air conditioners and car vents to re-circulate to keep out the smoky outside air.
The Link LonkAugust 23, 2020 at 11:59PM
https://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-weather-red-flag-warning-as-forecasters-fear-new-lightning-winds-sunday
Bay Area weather: Red flag warning and unhealthy air as forecasters warn new lightning, winds could come Sunday - The Mercury News
https://news.google.com/search?q=dry&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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