Winds began gaining strength across Southern California on Tuesday, as forecasters warned of powerful, dry gusts that could bring down trees, damage homes and bring extreme fire risk to areas that haven't seen substantial rain in months.

Wind speeds: The National Weather Service has issued wind warnings and alerts across much of Southern California. In L.A. and Ventura counties, sustained winds of 35 to 50 mph are expected, while gusts of 50 to 80 mph are possible. In some windy corridors, winds up to 100 mph are possible.

Powerful, dry winds expected across Southern California this week are set to raise fire risks in a region that has gone more than eight months without significant rain.