LOS ANGELES (AP) — An autumn heat wave accompanied by gusty winds raised the wildfire risk for Southern California starting Tuesday, with forecasters warning that grass and brush are still dangerously dry despite recent rains.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for increased fire danger in mountain and foothill areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Wednesday evening.

The region's notorious Santa Ana winds could bring gusts of up to 45 mph (72 kph) at elevation, with slightly lower speeds through valleys, said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the NWS office for LA.

Santa Anas are typical for this time of year, Schoenfeld said, but expected temperatures in the low 90s (34 C) will be hotter than normal for late October, with some record highs possible.

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