Santa Ana winds fuelling California wildfires

Wildfires fuelled by “life-threatening” Santa Ana winds – warm, dry air formed in the Great Basin Desert of America’s southwest – are forcing the evacuation of over 100,000 residents in Southern California


SANTA ANA WINDS

CALIFORNIA 
NEVADA
Sierra Nevada Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
San Bernardino Mountains
PACIFIC OCEAN
100km 60 miles

High pressure ridge over Great Basin

Air flow funnelled through mountain valley – pressure increases temperature

Low pressure over coast

90km/h 160km/h
Wind speed
Sustained
Gusts

20%
Relative humidity
Vegetation drying out


Hurst
350 hectares

Sunset 
18 hectares

Pacific Palisades
7,000 hectares

Lidia
140 hectares

Eaton Canyon
4,300 hectares


Santa Clarita 
Malibu
Santa Monica
LOS ANGELES 
Lynwood
Pasadena
Covina
Anaheim
Claremont

118 101 210 405 110 605 5 10
8km 5 miles


Sources: Calfire, Reuters, Weatherbug
© GRAPHIC NEWS