Red flag warning issued for leeward areas of all islands

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The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a red flag warning for the leeward areas of all Hawaiian Islands, which is in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday.

The fire weather watch is no longer in effect.

A red flag warning was issued because the combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.

A red flag warning does not predict new fire starts.

NWS said it is important to note that the winds for this event WILL NOT be comparable in strength to the Aug. 8 event, where wind gusts of over 60 mph were observed.

The leeward areas are forecast to experience trade winds 15 mph to 30 mph with gusts of 40 mph to 50 mph. The strongest wind gusts will be downwind of higher terrain.

Humidity will be 45% to 55% tonight, decreasing to 35% to 45% on Thursday.