Winds in Northern California have reached up to 65 miles per hour, leading to dangerous fire conditions with extremely dry air.

A major "diablo wind" — notorious in autumn for its hot, dry gusts — is expected to whip up across Northern California on Thursday evening, causing humidity levels to drop and raising the risk of wildfires.

A California utility company has cut power in 19 counties in the northern and central parts of the state due to strong Diablo winds, which create a higher risk of wildfires from power lines.