The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for much of the Bay Area from Thursday night through Saturday evening as dry and windy conditions pose the risk of rapid spread of wildfires.

The weather service had previously issued a fire weather warning for later this week, but upgraded it to the red flag warning, in effect for winds of 25-35 mph and isolated gusts from up to 11 a.m. Thursday until 5 p.m. Saturday will be 65 mph in higher terrain.

Meteorologists said areas expected to experience particularly windy conditions and low humidity include the interior mountains of the North Bay, the East Bay hills and the Diablo Range, and the San Francisco Peninsula, among others.

PG&E is planning possible public safety power shutoffs in parts of the Bay Area due to fire weather conditions.

Ahead of the dry and windy weather, the Bay Area could see some moisture in the form of drizzle, which is expected to move across the region Wednesday morning, although most locations are not expected to see much precipitation.

Additionally, a Beach Hazard Warning is in effect until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday for San Francisco, the North Bay coastal region including Point Reyes National Seashore, the San Francisco Peninsula coast, northern and southern Monterey Bay, and the Big Sur coast.

It is possible that large waves could sweep over the coasts of the affected areas without warning and drag people into the sea.