A Red Flag Warning was allowed to expire for the Bay Area and Central Coast after gusty offshore winds eased, the National Weather Service said Saturday afternoon. While wind speeds subsided, “nearly critically dry conditions persist through early next week,

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for most of the Bay Area for later this week, due to expected strong winds and low humidity significantly raising the risk of fires.

The National Weather Service’s red flag warning, in effect since Thursday, is set to be lifted Saturday at 5 p.m. but experts warn fire danger may continue.

A red-flag warning signals elevated wildfire risk, and on Friday, strong winds were creating the perfect recipe for rapid wildfire spread. Just before 2 p.m., sustained winds over Vacaville were about 20 mph, with isolated gusts of up to 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office.

A red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service goes into effect at 11 p.m. Thursday and will continue into Saturday. Most of the San Francisco Bay Area falls under the warning, which is due to the critical fire weather conditions brought on by heavy wind,

A fire watch issued for much of the Bay Area on Monday has been upgraded to a red flag warning, according to the National Weather Service. The warning will take effect Thursday at 11 p.m. and last through 5 p.