Blackout warnings as furious ‘devil winds’ up to 80mph target millions in California

Powerful ‘devil winds’ with the strength of a hurricane are sweeping over more than 20 million people, threatening to cause widespread power outages and spark deadly wildfires.

Commonly known as Santa Ana winds, forecasters warn that gusts could reach 80mph starting Thursday and lasting through the weekend, potentially damaging homes, knocking down power lines and even blowing trucks off roadways.

The winds are sweeping down into Southern California, bringing surges of dry and hot air into Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Santa Ana winds form when high pressure building up in Northern California, Nevada and Utah drives dry gusts into the southern half of the state, which get hotter and drier as they drop from the mountains to the Pacific Coast.

Temperatures are expected to skyrocket into the 90s in Los Angeles and San Diego, with AccuWeather warning that the strongest winds will potentially reach 90mph.

The National Weather Service (NWS) is already urging residents throughout the region to brace for possible blackouts through midnight on Saturday. 

NWS officials warned in a statement: ‘Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.’

Santa Ana winds have also been nicknamed ‘devil winds’ because they dramatically increase the risk of spreading sparks that ignite deadly wildfires throughout California.

Santa Ana winds were blamed for multiple wildfires in Southern California in 2025 and have already been connected to one blaze this month.

In January 2025, Santa Ana conditions, including winds between 60 and 100mph, very low humidity and local droughts, were connected to the Eaton, Hughes and Palisades Fires.

Those disasters destroyed nearly 50,000 acres across Los Angeles County and reportedly killing at least 30 people.

The power outages have been directly tied to the risk of new wildfires starting over the next three days. 

AccuWeather noted in a statement: ‘Utilities may temporarily shut off electricity in areas facing dangerous fire weather to reduce the risk of power equipment sparking wildfires.’

At the same time, a mid-October heat wave is set to break out in Southern California, with temperatures jumping into the 90s in downtown Los Angeles, marking the second heat wave of the month in the area.

The devil winds are expected to be slightly less intense within the Los Angeles metro areas, however, nearby communities will be quickly dried out by the hot and arid winds – raising the risk of fires around the city.

This is a breaking story. More details to follow.