Hurricane Genevieve — a powerful system that might be drawing energy from an emerging El Niño — could produce waves in the 8 to 11 foot range this week at San Diego County beaches that face south and southwest, the National Weather Service says.
Read more Body of missing swimmer found on Carlsbad beach following search
The heavy surf is expected to arrive Wednesday and will mainly generate 5 to 7 foot waves. But much larger sets will occur on a periodic basis, creating life-threatening rip currents, the weather service says.
Genevieve is located just below the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico and is generally moving out to sea, forecasters say. But the storm, which increased to category 3 in strength on Sunday, is throwing off energy that will generate surf in Southern California.
This will become the third tropical system to send waves to California in about three weeks.
Read more As Trump boosts nuclear power, regulators seek to eliminate a longstanding radiation safety practice
Forecasters say that it is possible that the storms are tied to El Niño, a periodic form of climate change that begins in the eastern Pacific and sometimes sends unusually warm water to Mexico and the West Coast of the U.S. That warmth can make storms stronger.
But Adam Roser, a forecaster at the National Weather Service, noted that it is very difficult to determine El Niño’s specific impact on any storm. He added that sea surface temperatures are several degrees above average off southern Baja, and several degrees above average along the San Diego County coastline. Water temperature reached 75.7 degrees at Scripps Pier on Saturday. The number is usually in the low 70s this time of year.
Read more As Trump boosts nuclear power, regulators seek to eliminate a longstanding radiation safety rule
