Sweltering temperatures return Thursday as offshore hurricane swells bring 8-foot waves and heavy rip currents to local beaches.
The National Weather Service of Los Angeles has announced that the Los Angeles heat wave will continue this week, with a short period of relief and lower temperatures and humidity on Wednesday before hazardous temperatures and humidity return.
The relief won’t last long, as dangerous temperatures will start to return on Thursday and will peak between Friday and Sunday, when another extreme heat warning will be in effect in the interior areas of Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area.
NWS advises that residents should “Stay hydrated, and watch for signs of heat illness in yourself & others. Never leave anyone in a parked car; vehicles become deadly hot quickly.”
For those who want to head to the beaches to stay cool, please be advised that NWS LA has also issued a High Surf Advisory now in effect from 6 a.m. on Wednesday to 5 p.m. PDT on Saturday that includes dangerous rip currents and breaking waves due to elevated surf with large breaking waves of 4 to 8 feet, highest across south to southwest facing beaches
exposed to southerly swells. NWS added, “The elevated surf and strong currents will lead to dangerous conditions with increased ocean rescues needed.”
According to the Los Angeles County Lifeguards, the high surf and dangerous rip currents have led to lifeguards performing just under 2,000 rescues with millions at Los Angeles County beaches last weekend.
Battalion Chief Derek Peters said to KTLA News, “We’re expecting eight- to ten-foot surf from Wednesday to Sunday, and it’s going to be busy with significant rescue activity. But we’re ready for it.”
Hurricane Genevieve is to blame for the dangerous ocean conditions for swimmers on the Los Angeles and Malibu beaches. It was briefly a Category 5 hurricane and has weakened to a Category 3, but is still powerful enough to affect Los Angeles beaches even though it is far out to sea in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, roughly 515 miles offshore of Mexico’s coast.
