GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for most of West Michigan for critical fire danger.
The warning is in effect until 8:00 p.m. Monday evening.
Temperatures will rise into the 70s and possibly 80° later Monday. Strong southerly winds with gusts of up to 30 mph and low humidity levels are contributing to the danger. Here is a look at forecast wind speeds and gusts for later Monday afternoon:
And these wind gusts could actually increase during the evening:
Along with the gusty winds, forecast highs in the 70s to around 80°, along with dew points only in the 30s and 40s could lead to relative humidity values as low as 25%. In fact, relative humidities as of this writing are already as low as around 31% in parts of Ionia County. These values will drop as temperatures rise and dewpoints remain nearly steady:
The National Weather Service is advising people to be extremely cautious with outdoor grills, smoking materials, all-terrain vehicles, campfires, or anything else outdoors that could potentially lead to a wildfire.
Some areas may be under burn restrictions. Check with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for potential restrictions.
