A red flag warning has been issued for Santa Clarita due to high winds in the area that have already caused damage to some property throughout the Santa Clarita Valley.

The National Weather Service issued the warning through 8 p.m. Sunday.

A red flag warning is an indicator  that critical fire weather conditions are occurring and extreme caution should be exercised.A combination of strong winds and low humidity with warm temperatures can cause or add to extreme fire conditions, according to NWS officials.

Northeastern winds are expected to blow at 20 to 30 MPH throughout the day, with gusts at 45 to 55 MPH. In the evening, some relief is expected as the winds die down to between 15 and 25 MPH.

The strongest winds are expected to occur throughout the early afternoon, with damaging wind gusts of 60 to 70 mps across the Santa Monica mountains.

Gusty winds make driving difficult for vehicles with high profiles, including big rigs, trailers, trucks and vans, on the I-5, SR-14, SR-118, I-210 and 405 freeway.

The National Weather Service urged drivers to use extra caution and be prepared for sudden gusty crosswinds.

Residents in the Santa Clarita Valley are describing the  powerful winds they’re experiencing and are voicing concerns on social media.

“We have very large trees on the hill behind our back fence, not on our property,” said one Facebook post. “The winds have caused huge parts of the trees to fall on our fence and into our backyard. We had a huge piece last week that we hadn’t gotten removed yet and this morning another big branch fell.”

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