LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With more thunderstorms in the forecast for Monday morning, the National Weather Service has placed Lake County and a large area of the state under a red flag warning.

The red flag warning is from 2 to 11 a.m. Monday.

The National Weather Service said a red flag warning fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

On Sunday morning, Lake County residents witnessed a spectacular thunderstorm that began before dawn and was shot through with a bright sunrise and a double rainbow.

Thousands of lightning strikes were reported across the state on Sunday, but no serious fires were reported in Lake County.

However, on the Mendocino National Forest, six lightning fires resulted from the Sunday storm, with five of them on the Grindstone Ranger District and one on the Covelo Ranger District, forest officials reported.

The National Weather Service said the thunderstorms forecast for Monday morning – the result of another weather system originating from the tropics – also will be capable of causing new fire starts “due to their relatively dry nature and fast-movement, along with the continued dry fuels and low humidity conditions in place.”

The forecast calls for scattered showers on Monday morning and erratic and gusty winds, with west-northwest breezes picking up late Monday afternoon and evening.

At the same time, Lake County remains under a hazardous weather outlook due to the heatwave affecting the western United States.

The National Weather Service said hot weather will persist much of this week, with daytime temperatures on Monday and Tuesday expected to reach or surpass the century mark, before rolling back slightly into the high 90s through the weekend.

As a result of the heatwave and the draw on power, the California Independent System Operator has issued a statewide Flex Alert calling for voluntary electricity conservation through Wednesday.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.