The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for this afternoon until 7pm this evening for the following counties, Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Emmet, Franklin, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Winnebago, Worth, Wright, Calhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Sac, Webster, Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell, Winneshiek and Monona and for the following Fire Weather Zones in NW and WC Iowa… Iowa Great Lakes/Rock and Little Sioux Basins and Northern Loess Hills and Floyd River Basin.

* TIMING…THE MOST HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM
AROUND MIDDAY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS UNTIL A LITTLE AFTER
SUNSET.

* WIND…WINDS OF AROUND 25 MPH ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES…WITH GUSTS
IN EXCESS OF 35 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* FUEL…SURFACE FUELS ARE VERY DRY DUE TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS
AND PERSISTENT LACK OF RAINFALL.

* IMPACTS…ANY FIRES WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY. BURNING OF ANY KIND
SHOULD BE POSTPONED…AND HARVESTING OPERATIONS SHOULD EXERCISE
A HIGH LEVEL OF CAUTION.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.