High winds, low humidity prompt red flag warning for our area

CHARLOTTE — The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a red flag warning for parts of North Carolina effective Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. The warning covers a significant portion of the western and central regions of the state, including Mecklenburg County.

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Weather forecasters issued the alert due to predicted wind speeds and low relative humidity levels. Northeast winds are expected to range from 10 to 25 mph with gusts reaching 40 mph, while relative humidity is forecasted to drop as low as 13%.

According to the weather service, any fire that develops under these conditions will catch and spread quickly.

Because of the predicted wind and humidity levels, outdoor burning is not recommended during the effective period of the warning.

The warning includes a broad geographic area across the mountains, Foothills and Piedmont.

Counties covered by the alert include Mecklenburg, Avery, Alexander, Iredell, Davie, Madison, Yancey, Mitchell, Swain, Haywood, Buncombe, Catawba, Rowan and Graham. The warning also extends to Northern Jackson, Macon, Southern Jackson, Transylvania, Henderson, Cleveland, Lincoln, Gaston, Cabarrus and Union.

Affected locations also include the North Carolina portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the mountain regions of Caldwell, Burke, McDowell, Rutherford, and Polk counties.

The warning is scheduled to remain in effect until 11 p.m. Saturday.

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