Santa Ana winds hit Malibu a day early, red flag warning Thursday Play

Breaking Wednesday morning: the first big Santa Ana winds have arrived in Malibu, roughly 24 hours before the National Weather Service said they would. Peak winds have already started blowing out of the north and it's heating up in the hills above Malibu.

As of Wednesday morning, wind gusts have hit 40 mph at LA County Fire Camp 8 at the top of Las Flores Canyon Road, 34 mph at the top of the Pepperdine campus near the Graziadio Business School, 18 mph at the KBUU transmitters above Paradise Cove, 15 mph at the ridge above Malibu High School, and 10 mph off the beach at Heathercliff.

The winds are shifting around.

By Thursday forecasters expect a four-millibar pressure differential between the inland deserts and the ocean, climbing to seven millibars by Friday morning. That could drive wind gusts around 55 mph at times, with isolated gusts up to 60 mph possible on hilltops.

Peak winds are likely Friday morning, with gusts of 55 mph possible at places like Trancas and the ridgetops. Santa Anas are fluky — some spots get no wind while neighbors just up the hill get blasted.

A red flag warning is in effect from 6 a.m. Thursday through 10 p.m. Friday for the Santa Monica Mountains and all of Malibu, citing strong winds, low humidity, and the potential for extreme fire behavior and new fire starts.

A beach hazards statement is also up for high waves, with high tide Wednesday morning around 11 a.m.

A heat advisory begins at 10 a.m., with temperatures in the 90s down at the beach — the hottest temperatures during Santa Anas are often at the coast, as hot air compresses coming through the mountain passes.