A Red Flag warning has been issued for the Perry area from noon to 8 p.m. Monday, March 29 due to the extreme fire weather conditions, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Johnston announced Sunday.
By Monday afternoon the combination of warming temperatures, strong southerly winds and wind gusts, decreasing humidity and relatively dry prairie grasses and other fuels will create extreme fire weather conditions across large portions of Iowa, the NWS said.
Relative humidity as low as 25% during the afternoon and strong south to southwest winds with sustained speeds to around 25 mph and gusts to 45 mph are forecast. Wind gusts in excess of 50 mph may be possible for a brief period in mid- to late-Monday afternoon.
Prairie grasses and any lingering crop debris will dry out quickly in these conditions and may easily burn. Any fires that start Monday afternoon may spread rapidly and become uncontrollable.
Along with Dallas County, the Red Flag warning is in effect in Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Humboldt, Wright, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Hardin, Grundy, Black Hawk, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Tama, Audubon, Guthrie, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Cass, Adair, Madison, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Adams, Union, Clarke, Lucas,
Monroe, Wapello, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, Wayne, Appanoose and Davis counties.
ThePerryNews.com will update this weather story as forecasts evolve.
