As winds across the Southern California area are calmer than their peak and firefighters are making progress, the threat to the fire-weary region remains with Santa Ana winds expected to continue in the coming days.

Answer: Santa Ana winds are dry, warm and gusty winds that blow from the interior of southern California toward the coast and offshore. They are a type of downslope wind, which is a wind directed down a slope produced by processes larger in scale than the slope.

The Santa Anas are expected to be most powerful Monday night into Tuesday. Fire services across the region say they are ready.

After a weekend of reprieve allowing fire teams to continue making progress battling the deadly infernos burning in Los Angeles County, Southern California now faces another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana Winds Monday.

Winds have picked up and are expected to continue through Tuesday morning, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking

Santa Anas are the desiccating winds that are common in winter, blowing out of Nevada and Utah and into southwestern California. Carrying dry desert air, they push over the mountains in the Transverse Ranges and accelerate as they move downslope, howling into the canyons and valleys.

Despite dangerous wind conditions, fire crews made quick work of a brush fire near the Griffith Observatory. The extreme winds are posing another serious threat of wildfires across Southern California.

At least five wildfires are ravaging Southern California, and the three largest have already killed at least five people, burned tens of thousands of acres and prompted the evacuation of an estimated 179,

Southern California is bracing for an "unprecedented" third Particularly Dangerous Situation warning in a month, as extreme Santa Ana winds increase fire danger.

"A strong Santa Ana Wind event is expected to develop Monday and last through at least Tuesday," the National Weather Service said.

Extreme fire weather returns to Southern California - particularly Los Angeles and Ventura counties - as winds of up to 100 mph have prompted the most urgent warning from the National Weather Service.