LOS ANGELES (AP) — California braced Tuesday for another round of strong winds that will cause humidity to drop and increase the risk of wildfires across much of the state.

For the second time in three weeks, a “diablowind” – infamous in the fall for hot, dry gusts – was expected to emerge across Northern California starting this evening.

Forecasters have issued red flag warnings of fire danger from the Central Coast through the San Francisco Bay Area and into counties in the north through Thursday.

Sustained winds of 25 miles per hour are expected in many areas, with possible gusts of up to 55 miles per hour along mountain peaks, according to the National Weather Service.

During a diablo windCommon in the fall, the air is so dry that the relative humidity drops, leaving vegetation to dry out and ready to burn. The name – “diablo” is Spanish for “devil” – is informally applied to a hot wind that blows from inland toward the coast near the San Francisco region as high pressure builds over the west.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said it was prepared to turn off power to a small number of customers starting late Tuesday in areas where strong wind gusts could damage electrical equipment and cause fires.

Targeted power cuts were also possible in Southern California, where another infamous weather phenomenon, the Santa Ana winds, was expected to intensify Wednesday and Thursday.

Winds around greater Los Angeles will likely be stronger than in the north, with gusts up to 80 miles per hour, and even higher in mountain areas, the National Weather Service said. A high wind warning was issued for much of LA and Ventura counties as of early Wednesday.