Long Island weekend weather forecast: Rain Sunday night but fire alert extended to Saturday

Rain is forecast to return to a parched Long Island Sunday night, but until then, a Red Flag warning has been extended to Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

The warning, which affects Long Island, New York City and the lower Hudson Valley, was in effect Friday and was extended to Saturday at 6 p.m.

Brian Ciemnecki, an NWS meteorologist, said people should avoid creating open fires, such as at campgrounds and in fire pits, and should avoid throwing cigarette butts out the window.

"Any fire that does begin, we could see rapid, rapid spread," he said.

September and October were two of the driest months on record for Long Island. The U.S. Drought Monitor has put the Island in a "moderate drought" status, the second of six stages of drought in the country.

But other factors such as low relative humidity and expected wind gusts of 35 mph are also predicted for Saturday, which could concoct a perfect combination for fires.

Temperatures will reach highs in the mid 60s for Saturday and the low 60s on Sunday. A frost warning was issued for Saturday night, when the low will reach 33 degrees, the weather service said.

Dry conditions will continue through Saturday and most of Sunday, so it's possible the warning could continue into the weekend, Ciemnecki said.

Between a quarter and a half inch of rain is forecast for late Sunday night into Monday morning — not a significant amount, but providing at least some relief. Precipitation may also return later next week.

"Anything will help at this point," Ciemnecki said.