Waves up to 8 feet and dangerous rip currents are headed for Santa Monica's south-facing beaches starting at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 19, and the National Weather Service is warning swimmers to stay close to staffed lifeguard towers or stay out of the water entirely.
The NWS issued a High Surf Advisory for south-facing beaches across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Santa Monica's coastline faces south, putting it squarely in the path of the incoming swell.
The advisory runs through at least Tuesday night, July 21, with elevated surf possible beyond that.
What's driving it
Tropical Storm Elida, which formed off the coast of Baja California around Wednesday, July 15, is generating the swells pushing north toward Southern California. The National Hurricane Center identified Elida as the fifth named storm of the Eastern Pacific season. A separate Tropical Storm Fausto also formed Sunday, July 19, in the same region and may extend elevated surf beyond Tuesday.
Expected conditions
The NWS forecasts surf building to 3 to 5 feet Sunday afternoon before jumping to 5 to 8 feet from Sunday night through Tuesday. Those waves will produce powerful rip currents and strong longshore currents along south-facing shorelines, the agency said.
"We've got a High Surf Advisory that begins at about 5 o'clock today," KTLA forecaster Kirk Hawkins said Sunday morning, July 19. "Also, some hazardous beach conditions on the Central Coast, continuing through Tuesday night."
Heat wave could push bigger crowds to the coast
The timing matters. The NWS is also forecasting a "long and dangerous" heat wave building across inland Southern California starting Wednesday, July 22, with an 80 percent chance of daytime temperatures between 85 and 105 degrees in non-coastal areas. Some spots could reach 110.
Coastal temperatures are expected to stay below normal through Monday, July 20, before warming begins Tuesday. That combination of scorching inland heat and relatively cool beach air could draw larger-than-normal crowds to the shoreline while dangerous surf conditions persist.
The NWS said there is about a 60 percent chance that Heat Advisories will be needed during the latter half of the week.
What beachgoers should do
The NWS and lifeguard agencies urge beachgoers to:
- Swim only near staffed lifeguard towers
- Stay out of the water if conditions look dangerous
- Watch for rip currents pulling swimmers away from shore
- Keep children within arm's reach near the waterline
The Santa Monica Fire Department, which oversees ocean rescue operations on city beaches, had not issued a separate public statement about the advisory as of the morning of July 19.
Residents can check current conditions and advisory updates at weather.gov/lox or call the NWS Los Angeles office.
