The Nationwide Climate Service has issued an enormous Purple Flag Warning alongside California’s shoreline on Aug. 28, as meteorologists are involved that potential lightning storms might spark fires.
The warnings have been issued late Thursday and early Friday as meteorologists monitored lingering climate circumstances alongside the shoreline, stemming from remnants of regional tropical storms. As a precaution, meteorologists issued these warnings alongside the shoreline from San Mateo County to the sting of Los Angeles County till 3 p.m. on Aug. 28.
Alongside the Northern and Central California shoreline, meteorological fashions predicted that the area may very well be hit by remoted “dry lightning” storms, that are thunderstorms that produce little to no rain, creating very best circumstances for sparking a hearth in flammable areas.
A map of the purple flag warnings issued all through California, launched by the Nationwide Climate Service on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026.
Notably, meteorologists are involved about areas like Huge Sur, which has been on hearth for practically three weeks now, because the Timber Fireplace has reached over 23,000 acres as of Aug. 28. The Timber Fireplace initially began in a distant space southeast of Loma Vista at about 9:40 p.m. on Aug. 8.
Rodge Gass, an NWS meteorologist, famous that though rain is predicted for a lot of the area, he expects most of Northern and Central California to obtain about “a tenth of an inch of rainfall reaching the floor.”
“We have solely picked up round five hundredth of an inch or so of rain over the previous 6 hours within the wettest spots,” Gass mentioned. “A very good portion of the Santa Cruz Mountains and central coast have been seeing some rainfall, however not sufficient to place out any fires which are began by any lightning strikes.”
Related considerations have led the NWS to challenge purple flag warnings all through Southern California’s coast area, whilst the possibility of remoted “dry lightning” storms stays decrease than within the northern area. However further warnings have been issued for Southern California’s mountain ranges, as drier circumstances all through the week have made the area prone to flammable circumstances.
A map of the noticed precipitation radar, launched by the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026.
“The warnings for the coastal areas are resulting from lightning, however for the extra inside areas and mountain areas, these warnings are as a result of scorching, dry circumstances,” mentioned Rose Schoenfield, an NWS meteorologist.
“Though we have got all this humidity, it does not all the time make all of it the way in which to the mountains, and that is the case this time.”
Meteorologists famous that temperatures are anticipated to drop beginning this weekend, as remnants of the tropical storm programs dissipate. Areas alongside California’s shoreline are anticipated to chill off considerably.
Why has it been humid in Southern California?
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A novel shade Porsche is photographed contained in the Pasadera Golf & Nation Membership in Monterey, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. (David Rodríguez/The Salinas Californian, David Rodríguez / The Salinas Californian)
Over the previous couple of days in Southern California, residents have complained in regards to the scorching, humid circumstances, which really feel extra applicable for Florida than the Los Angeles area.
Areas like Ventura County hit record-high temperatures on Aug. 25, with Camarillo reaching 86 levels and Oxnard topping out at 87. It has been greater than 90 years since Camarillo and Oxnard recorded highs of 85 levels, a report set in 1931, in response to preliminary figures from the Nationwide Climate Service.
A lot of this warmth and humidity stemmed from remnants of a tropical storm constructing alongside the Gulf of California and the japanese Pacific, pushing an inflow of moisture northward into Southern California.
The inflow of moisture, in flip, triggered the area’s common dew level to rise to “actually excessive” ranges. The dew level indicated the temperature at which the air must be cooled, in response to the NWS.
“The dew factors are tied into the in a single day temperatures we have been seeing,” Schoenfield mentioned. “Not solely is it scorching and muggy throughout the peak of the warmth within the day, but it surely’s carrying over in a single day, so it is change into noticeable for these of us with out AC items.”
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA As we speak. Contact him at npadilla@usatodayco.com, comply with him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Join the TODAY Californian publication or comply with us on Fb at TODAY Californian.
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Nationwide Climate Service points a Purple Flag warning alongside California