The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a high surf advisory for the Southern California coast on Tuesday (July 28th) due to the continued strengthening of Hurricane “Genevieve” in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, creating hazardous ocean conditions at Southern California beaches.
The high surf advisory issued by the National Weather Service will be in effect from Wednesday (July 29th) through Saturday evening (August 1st).
It is forecasted that the swells will generate waves reaching heights of 8 to 10 feet (about 2.4 to 3 meters) along the Southern California coast, with some areas experiencing even higher waves, posing risks of large waves and strong rip currents for beachgoers.
Kevin Wallis, a forecaster at Surfline website tracking current surfing conditions, mentioned that the Hurricane-induced southeasterly swells began intensifying on Tuesday afternoon and are expected to peak from Wednesday night to Thursday (July 30th), with potential maximum wave heights reaching 12 feet (about 3.7 meters).
Additionally, with nighttime high tides approaching 7 feet (around 2.1 meters), local authorities in Southern California have also issued coastal flood warnings.
The warning stated that localized flooding could occur in parking lots, parks, and roads, with coastal erosion risks expected to last until 3 a.m. on Saturday. The meteorological department advises inexperienced swimmers to avoid entering the water.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on Tuesday morning that the center of Hurricane “Genevieve” is currently located approximately 530 miles (about 853 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour (about 201 kilometers per hour), classified as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The storm had briefly intensified to Category 5, making it the strongest storm of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season so far this year and the first storm to reach Category 5 intensity since Hurricane “Kristy” in 2024.
Although “Genevieve” is projected to stay offshore without making a direct landfall, its long-period swells have already reached hundreds of miles along the Southern California coast.
AccuWeather’s chief hurricane expert, Alex DaSilva, forecasted that the impact of the heightened waves will extend from western Mexico to Southern California and will persist throughout the entire week, accompanied by dangerous rip currents.
Additionally, about ten days ago, another storm forming near New Zealand is expected to bring larger southwest swells to Orange County.