Dry and windy weather has led to potentially dangerous fire conditions throughout the Kansas City metro, the National Weather Service in Kansas City said in a forecast discussion Thursday.
The weather service issued a red flag warning for critical fire danger on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to the NWS, any fires are likely to spread quickly.
The weather service strongly discourages outdoor fires during the warning.
In a social media post, the NWS gave examples of how people can prevent dangerous fires: avoiding outdoor fires, making sure trailer safety chains don’t drag on the ground, properly extinguishing cigarettes and avoiding equipment that could cause sparks.
Dry conditions in the Kansas City metro lately, combined with the potential for high wind speeds, are contributing to the increased and critical fire hazard. Wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour are possible Thursday, the NWS predicts.
Kansas City weather forecast
Thursday will be sunny with a high near 71 degrees, according to the NWS forecast. The overnight low will be around 47 degrees.
The metro is experiencing low humidity, which is expected to last through the weekend. Dangerous fire conditions are also possible on Friday.
The forecast shows another sunny day on Friday with a high near 73 degrees. The rest of the weekend will be nice weather with highs in the low 70s, the forecast predicts.
Drought conditions may improve early next week. Light rain is possible Monday, with a quarter inch possible in eastern Kansas and western Missouri.
