Dire warnings have been issued for the Los Angeles area, with a dangerous threat for the strongest wind event in more than a decade. Outages and extreme fire behaviours are major risks

Red flag weather warning: A National Weather Service alert that warns the public — especially fire officials and firefighters — that strong winds are expected in specific areas of Southern California, and that there will be potentially dangerous fire weather conditions within the next 12 to 24 hours.

High winds that weather officials have called "life-threatening and destructive" are hitting Southern California Tuesday, sparking a major brush fire in Pacific Palisades and prompting thousands of power outages.