A majority of Texas will face a dangerous mix of hurricane-like winds, warm temperatures and bone-dry conditions on Friday, increasing the risk of fast-moving wildfires throughout a large portion of the state, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
A red-flag warning will be in effect for all of North, Central and West Texas until 9 p.m. Friday, meaning any outdoor flames or sparks could quickly turn into larger flames. The NWS also issued a high-wind warning until 7 p.m. Winds are expected to reach up to 65 mph throughout North and Central Texas and up to 80 mph in West Texas. A fire-weather warning was issued in Central Texas until 9 p.m. Saturday.
Additionally, the NWS says humidity levels across much of Texas are expected to dip as low as 5%, while high temperatures are expected to persist as heavy winds blow through the state.
“This is a highly unusual fire threat,” said Madi Gordon, meteorologist at the NWS Fort Worth Forecast Office. “We are facing a very dangerous situation here for most of Texas.”
According to Gordon, potential wildfires could “easily ignite and be extremely difficult to contain” due to the low humidity and high winds. She suggests avoiding any activities like outdoor burning, driving or parking a car over tall grass, and tossing lit cigarettes into grass.
As of Thursday, parts of Central and West Texas were experiencing “extreme” to “exceptional” droughts, while North Texas was experiencing mostly “abnormally dry” conditions, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
