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National Weather Service Issues Red Flag Warning for Central Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains Due to Lightning and Wind

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for the Central Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. The alert warns of high fire danger caused by lightning strikes with minimal precipitation and erratic outflow winds of 40 to 50 mph. These conditions are expected to increase the risk of power outages and rapid fire spread for existing blazes, such as the Timber and Plaskett fires. Remnant moisture from Tropical Storm Iselle is providing the primary source for thunderstorms, though weather models show low confidence in predicting whether these will be heavy rain showers or isolated lightning strikes. Rainfall totals are expected to remain under 0.15 inches. Meteorologist Kyle Bergerson noted a 20% chance of thunderstorms, while Jim Castillo reported that the region faces a high risk for heat-related illness due to warm, muggy conditions. The warning covers mountainous areas in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties as well as the Big Sur coast. Residents are urged to monitor the forecast as cooler air moves in from the north starting Friday.

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