Update: Red Flag Warning Issued for Woodinville This Weekend

Update 10:40 a.m. Saturday:  Abundant lightning expected for much of western Washington through Sunday. Do you have photos of the lightning from the early Saturday storms? Email them to lisa.baumann@patch.com.

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The National Weather Service Seattle has issued a Red Flag Warning for scattered lightning in Woodinville and much of western Washington from 6 p.m. Friday evening through 11 p.m. Sunday.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop, with the potential for lightning that could cause multiple fire starts, over the Cascades and Eastern Olympic mountains each afternoon and evening beginning Friday, Aug. 9. Some of storms and lightning could move into the Puget Sound area and southwest interior lowlands as well, the NWS said. This includes areas in King and Pierce counties that are east of I-5 and below 1500 feet in elevation.

Watch for gusty and erratic winds with any thunderstorm, and the NWS notes that the strongest winds are typically at the leading edge of a storm.

From the NWS:

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. SCATTERED LIGHTNING IN DRY FUELS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MULTIPLE FIRE STARTS...ALONG WITH ERRATIC AND GUSTY WINDS. FIREFIGHTING AGENCIES WILL WANT TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

In Woodinville, the forecast for Saturday is a chance of showers, with thunderstorms possible after 11 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

The first Celebrate Woodinville festival is also Saturday. Find details here.