Residents in Southern California face an extreme fire weather threat Wednesday as dry conditions overlap with strong Santa Ana winds.

A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for San Diego County valleys and mountain communities including El Cajon, Escondido, Ramona and Julian for Wednesday and Thursday.

Seasonal Santa Ana winds will blow across Southern California Wednesday, creating a high wildfire danger in parts of Orange County and the Inland Empire while having far less impact on the parched landscape of San Diego County, the National Weather Service said.

Gusty Santa Ana winds are expected to return Wednesday and continue into Thursday, bringing with them elevated fire risk, officials said.

For the second year in a row, San Diego received virtually no rain during October, parching already dry wildland vegetation. A fire weather advisory will likely be issued by Sunday.

Following a mild and calm Tuesday, stronger Santa Ana winds are forecast to develop midweek, intensifying on Wednesday and Thursday, forecasters said.