Wildfire threat looms across western US as temperatures rise this week

June 13, 2016 1:14 PM | Skymet Weather Team

The threat of wildfire will increase as the week progresses across the western US.

The temperatures across Los Angeles and Las Vegas which were a tad below normal will surge by Tuesday and Wednesday.

A spell of unsettled weather will affect the region thereby, triggering scattered thunderstorms and showers on Sunday. While the showers will dampen the region and there is high chances of lightning strikes. It only takes only one lightning strike to ignite a wildfire. To add to the threat the region is still experiencing extreme drought conditions.

Wildfires across the region in the last month or two have already shown that under conducive weather conditions the wildfires can quickly get out of control. The trees, brushes and grass have low moisture content owing to the extreme drought conditions prevailing across the region. This acts as a fuel for the wildfires as they can catch fire easily.

In the coming days the weather will become more conducive to wildfires. This is due to a high pressure that will build up and as a result the showers and thunderstorms will reduce significantly. This will lead to temperature rise and dry conditions. Any thunderstorm in the region will be a dry one in which there will be less or no rain and plenty of lightning.

Image credit: latimes.com

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