SerpApi.Org
If you’ve been in Southern California lately, the weather has been…strange. Last week, it was a heat wave; this week it’s humid, muggy, practically tropical.
That’s because, Southern California coastlines are feeling the full force of an active Eastern Pacific hurricane season, as back-to-back tropical systems churn up massive, long-period south swells. The one-two punch began with post-Tropical Storm Elida, which sent a powerful pulse of high-energy surf toward West Coast beaches.
But that’s not the last of it. Hard on the heels of Elida, newly-formed Tropical Storm Fausto is continuing to fuel the ocean conveyor belt, threatening to strengthen into a hurricane and maintain heavy coastal conditions.
The National Weather Service issued High Surf Advisories stretching from San Diego up through Ventura County, with south-facing beaches like Newport Beach, Huntington, and San Clemente seeing set waves pumping anywhere from 4 to 8 feet. While the long-period energy created idyllic, clean-shaped walls for experienced surfers, it generated treacherous shorebreak and massive, sweeping rip currents for unsuspecting swimmers.
Related: California's Monsoon Season: Rain, Heat, Thunderstorms, and a Hurricane Swell On The Way
The danger materialized instantly over the weekend. Per KTLA, as waves began to emerge from Elida on Sunday, Newport Beach lifeguards made a whopping 100 rescues in a single day as swimmers were pulled into swift, deep-water channels. Similar high-rescue tallies were reported across Orange and Los Angeles Counties, prompting lifeguards to double tower coverage and deploy emergency jet skis.
Extending an urgent warning to coastal visitors, the National Hurricane Center emphasized the extreme marine risks: "These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office."
Never riding the hype train, surf forecasting wizard, Kevin Wallis of Surfline, stated:
“Odds of more tropical swell are slowly increasing for the middle to second half of the upcoming week (22nd-24th range). There is a decent chance the swell will be in the vicinity of what we expect from Elida – generally fun with a few spots solid, but probably not major.”
In addition to dangerous surf, weather forecasters warn that remnant tropical moisture from Elida’s outer bands will bring elevated humidity and potential monsoonal mugginess to Inland SoCal. Meanwhile, swell models project that as Fausto marches west-northwest, secondary tropical energy will keep regional ocean currents volatile through midweek.
Authorities urge beachgoers to exercise extreme caution, swim strictly near open lifeguard towers, and avoid wading past waist-deep water.
Stay tuned; stay safe. And always listen to the lifeguards.
Related: 10-Foot Great White Shark Stalks Unsuspecting Swimmers off Southern California (Video)
