Strong gusts of wind over the weekend have led to power outages, a vegetation fire and at least one death in the Bay Area.

Leading into the weekend, the National Weather Service in the San Francisco Bay Area forecast winds up to 60 mph, resulting in a wind advisory to be issued late Sunday until 11 a.m. Monday.

In addition, the National Weather Service Sacramento office issued a Red Flag warning throughout the Sacramento Valley, urging folks to be cautious amid fire-prone conditions. Due to the lower moisture in the air and dry vegetation, meteorologists are concerned that fires can start easily and spread rapidly. The warning is in effect until 8 p.m. Monday.

Here's how the region has been affected by this weekend's high winds:

In preparation for this weekend's wind advisory, PG&E announced plans to preemptively cut power across the East and North Bay due to potential fire concerns. The plan is expected to affect residents throughout Monday, May 18, as fire-prone conditions persist.

"Due to high winds and dry conditions, power in your area has been turned off to help prevent a wildfire," reads the alert PG&E sent to affected residents. "Once weather has improved, we will begin inspecting power lines and equipment for possible damage. Power will be restored as soon as it is safe to do so."

Folks living in the following counties may be affected by the potential power outages: Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Lake, Merced, Napa, San Benito, San Joaquin, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, and Yolo.

As of 10 a.m. on May 18, thousands of residents were without power throughout the Bay Area and Sacramento regions.

On Sunday, the Santa Rosa Fire Department confirmed that strong wind-related incidents had left one man dead and one woman severely injured.

At about 3 p.m. on May 17, fire officials received a call that a tree branch had fallen onto a man in the 800 block of Howard Street, according to the Santa Rosa Fire Department. The man later died at a local hospital after succumbing to his major injuries.

Additionally, a 23-year-old was sent to a local hospital after she was struck by a falling branch in the 300 block of Steele Lane, according to officials. Officials have not released her condition at the time of publication.

On May 17, the California Highway Patrol closed down a portion of Altamont Pass Road near Livermore after a vegetation fire broke out due to hazardous conditions.

It took local fire crews several hours to extinguish the burning vegetation along the road and bring it under control.

As of May 18, the Livermore Fire Department and the California Police Department have not released the cause of the fire.

Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at npadilla@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is it so windy in the Bay Area? See power outages across region