Powerful winds continued to sweep across Southern California on Tuesday, prompting the National Weather Service to extend high wind and red flag warnings.

Authorities said a red flag warning - which signifies heightened risk of wildfires - was issued for San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Santa Ana winds gusting up to 102 mph in Whitaker Peak and 78 mph in Malibu Hills knocked out power lines over the night.

More than 13,000 households and businesses in the western San Fernando Valley and the Inland Empire were left without power by the fierce winds that are expected to lose strength in the following hours.

The low humidity levels and high winds prompted the authorities to issue red flag warnings for the mentioned regions. In San Diego, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties the warning was scheduled to expire at 6 p.m., while warnings for some areas of the Los Angeles and Ventura counties will remain in effect until 10 p.m.

In Los Angeles County, winds left nearly 10,000 homes without electricity last night, half of them having power restored in the morning.

The hot, dry Santa Ana winds usually sweep through southern California and northern Baja California in late fall and winter. The winds normally last a day and a half, but this winter have been unusually extended, experts said.

In October fierce wild fires fueled by these winds ravaged Escondido, Malibu, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Rancho Bernardo, Poway San Bernardino, San Diego and Los Angeles.