The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather warning for much of the Bay Area later this week as dry and windy weather is expected to return to the region.

According to the agency's Bay Area office, the watch is in effect for all nine Bay Area counties from 11 a.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Saturday.

“Guys, we’re not out of the woods yet.” the office said on its X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday.

The weather service said gusty northeast winds are expected as early as Thursday afternoon, mostly 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph. In higher elevations, gusts could reach speeds of 50 miles per hour.

Meanwhile, humidity is expected to fall to “critically dry” levels on Friday and Saturday, potentially falling to as low as 15% during the day and less than 40% during the overnight hours.

“The combination of gusty winds and low humidity may cause the fire to rapidly increase in size and intensity,” the weather service said in a statement, adding that outdoor burning is not recommended.