Hurricane-force winds lash California, knocking out power to thousands and raising risk of wildfires - USA TODAY

Howling winds of hurricane force roared across portions of California late Monday and early Tuesday, leaving over 150,000 customers without power.

Howling winds of hurricane force roared across portions of California late Monday and early Tuesday, leaving over 150,000 customers without power and sparking several new wildfires.

High wind warnings and advisories continue across much of California, where wind gusts may reach 70 to 80 mph at higher elevations and 50 to 70 mph in valleys and along the coast, the National Weather Service said.

The gusty winds reignited fresh fires in Santa Clara County, where a summer wildfire torched 1,500 buildings. The state’s firefighting agency said it had responded to at least a dozen vegetation fires in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties in 12 hours.

The Los Angeles region will see Santa Ana winds, AccuWeather said, including the downtown area.

Nearly 30 million Californians, or about 3 of every 4 people in the state, could see high winds through Tuesday, CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said

There are no significant changes to the weather pattern affecting California over the next two days, the weather service said Tuesday morning.