Santa Barbara County residents can expect mostly sunny weather and high temperatures this weekend, but there is a chance of rain showers and thunderstorms amid high humidity in the next few days.

The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management sent out a message Tuesday predicting monsoonal thunderstorms, as well as a “potential for heavy downpours, flash flooding, lightning strikes and increased fire danger” through Friday.

Sudden, heavy rain could cause flooding in the mountains and recent burn areas, including the Alamo Fire and Whittier Fire, officials said. 

Another risk in the upcoming days, the county warned, is potential lightning strikes, including around the beach areas.

A beach hazards statement was issued Wednesday, effective through 11 p.m., warning of isolated thunderstorms with dangerous lightning on the South Coast. “When thunder roars, go indoors,” the National Weather Service said. 

The National Weather Service forecasts a 20-percent chance of showers, along with calm winds, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Temperatures are expected to hit highs around 80 degrees for the rest of the week in Santa Barbara County,

The NWS forecast predicts highs around 80 degrees for the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria areas, with much higher temps for the Santa Ynez Valley, which could hit the high 90s on Thursday. 

A duo of hot weather and stormy conditions is nothing unusual, especially at this time of summer, said Bonnie Bartling, weather specialist at the National Weather Service at the Oxnard office. 

“If you’re in a thunderstorm, it could last a minute or 10 minutes,” Bartling said. “It’ll be intense in one specific area.”

The monsoonal moisture is expected to result in light showers mostly, with more potential for stormy weather on Wednesday, she added. 

— Noozhawk intern Shomik Mukherjee can be reached at smukherjee@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.