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

As a major winter storm batters the Midwest and East Coast, the National Weather Service is warning a destructive windstorm could hit Southern California.

Millions of people across Southern California are under a Red Flag warning as a dangerous windstorm fanned blazes in the Los Angeles area, including the Palisades Fire, which has triggered evacuations and burned hundreds of acres.

Forecasters are warning of a “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm expected to last several days and affect a massive swath of Southern California beginning early Tuesday. The offshore winds will be dry,

Winds began gaining strength across Southern California on Tuesday, as forecasters warned of “life-threatening, destructive” gusts that could last for days while toppling trees, creating dangerous surf and bringing extreme fire risk to areas that haven't seen substantial rain in months.