Looking to Cool Down at the Beach? Careful of Dangerous Waves

Strong winds swept mountain areas Tuesday amid more abnormally high heat as the region braced for a perilous bout of high surf.

A large, long-period west swell will create dangerous wave conditions along the beaches Wednesday morning through Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The swell is the result of a strong storm system now west of Northern California.

A beach hazards statement, which is a notch below a high surf advisory in terms of seriousness, will be in force from Wednesday through Thursday evening in L.A. County.

The high surf “will lead to an increased occurrence of dangerous rip currents and sneaker waves. Enhanced beach erosion is likely,” a statement said. “Minor coastal flooding of beach parking lots and walkways will be possible in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.”

Scheduled -- until 3 p.m. Tuesday -- is a wind advisory for the San Gabriel Mountains, where forecasters expect winds of between 20 and 30 miles per hour, gusting to 45 mph. The strongest winds will occur around Interstate 5, according to the NWS.

Temperatures, meanwhile, will remain around 15 degrees above normal. The NWS forecast partly cloudy skies and highs of 68 in Palmdale; 69 on Mount Wilson and Lancaster; 74 in Newport Beach and San Clemente; 75 in Avalon and Laguna Beach; 80 in Saugus; 81 at LAX; 82 in Anaheim and Irvine; 83 in Fullerton, Mission Viejo, Burbank, Long Beach and downtown L.A,; 84 in Pasadena, San Gabriel and Woodland Hills; and 85 in Yorba Linda.

Roughly similar temperatures are expected Wednesday, but under sunny skies. A cooldown will begin Saturday, but temperatures will remain mild for days.

--City News Server, photo courtesy of NWS