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High Winds Cause Outages Throughout Bay Area

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Nov 28, 2009 7:48 pm US/Pacific

High Winds Cause Outages Throughout Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ―

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A wind advisory issued by the National Weather Service for parts of the Bay Area has been extended until Sunday morning as high winds continue to affect the region, having caused power outages to thousands of homes and businesses Saturday.

The wind advisory had been expected to last until 5 p.m. today, but will remain in effect until 10 a.m. Sunday for the North and East Bay hills as winds continue to gust between 40 and 65 mph in some areas.

Winds of around 50 mph are expected to continue at elevations above 1,000 feet into Sunday morning, according to the weather service.

High winds caused outages to more than 20,000 PG&E customers in the Bay Area at one point today, and more than 8,000 customers remained without power as of 5 p.m., a utility spokesman said.

There are 4,725 customers without power in the North Bay, 3,735 customers in the East Bay, 55 in the South Bay, and 40 in San Francisco and the Peninsula, according to PG&E spokesman J.D. Guidi.

The North Bay, particularly the Napa region, has been hardest hit by the winds, Guidi said. At one point earlier Saturday, nearly 15,000 customers were without power in the region, he said.

Most customers can expect to have their power restored at some point in the evening hours, although customers in the North Bay may be without power until midnight, Guidi said.

A wind advisory is issued by the weather service when wind gusts of at least 45 mph are expected. Strong winds can make driving difficult, and drivers are urged to use extra caution.