Red Flag Warning

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Red Flag Warning for lightning and gusty outflow winds, which is in effect until 10 PM PDT Thursday.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 649 North and Central Coastal Strip, Fire Weather Zone 650 North Coastal Lowlands, Fire Weather Zone 651 Central Coastal Lowlands, Fire Weather Zone 652 West Portion of the Olympic Mountains and Fire Weather Zone 661 East Portion of the Olympic Mountains.

* WINDS...Southwest 5 to 10 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 24 percent.

* LIGHTNING...Isolated thunderstorm coverage is possible across the southern Cascade Mountains and portions of southwest Washington. Thunderstorms will develop late Wednesday night and move from south to north across the area.

* OUTFLOW WINDS...Any storms that develop will be capable of gusty and erratic outflow winds between 25 and 30 miles per hour. Outflow winds can occur ahead of and behind storms and cause erratic wind directions.

* TEMPERATURES...Up to 99.

* TIMING...4 PM PDT this afternoon to 10 PM PDT Thursday afternoon.

* IMPACTS...Lightning in dry fuels can cause multiple fire starts. Thunderstorms can also bring sudden sharp wind shifts on existing fires, causing rapid changes in a fire's rate of spread and direction of spread. Thunderstorm outflow winds can be a threat for several hours following the start of a new lightning- caused fire. If a fire were to begin, air quality may diminish in the surrounding area.

* IMPACTS...Scattered lightning in dry fuels can cause multiple fire starts. Thunderstorms can also bring sudden sharp wind shifts on existing fires, causing rapid changes in a fire's rate of spread and direction of spread. Thunderstorm outflow winds can be a threat for several hours following the start of a new lightning-caused fire. If a fire were to begin, air quality may diminish in the surrounding area.