Merced County under high wind advisory Monday night, forecasters say

Merced County commuters should take care driving tonight while the Central San Joaquin Valley remains under a high wind advisory, the National Weather Service said on Monday.

Wind gusts between 25 and 35 mph were recorded throughout the day and are expected to continue to about 8 p.m., according to meteorologist Kevin Durfee.

“Wind gusts can easily take somebody out of their lane if they’re no gripping the wheel really well,” he said.

Drivers of campers and big rigs pulling trailers are particularly susceptible to high winds, he said.

High winds may have played a part in sending two construction workers in Los Banos to the hospital on Monday when a gust of wind caused them to fall several feet from a roof, according to the Los Banos fire Chief Tim Marrison.

Four workers fell about 8 feet while working on a house in a new development on Santa Barbara Street near Nantes Avenue when the framework of the home fell and caused the men to lose balance, Marrison said.

Two of the men were taken to the hospital with “minor to moderate” injuries, he said.

The incident was reported to the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal-OSHA, he said.

Rainstorms headed inland from the Pacific Ocean are not likely to bring precipitation to the Valley, according to Durfee, but they could bring more gusty winds late in the week and early next week.

This story was originally published March 27, 2017 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Merced County under high wind advisory Monday night, forecasters say."