A recent storm near New Zealand is being blamed for major waves thousands of miles away off the coast of California this week.
The National Weather Service says Californians can expect to
encounter massive waves through Tuesday this week as a result of
the storm that erupted on Thursday and Friday in the southern
hemisphere, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to the paper, a high-surf advisory has been issued for
the west coast upon concerns that waves as tall as 15 feet could
crash onto Newport Beach in Orange County.
“Once those waves are created, they keep traveling until they
reach land,” David Sweet, a weather service meteorologist,
told the Times. “So we can thank our friends Down
Under.”
High surf pounds the wedge in Newport Beach! Lifeguards have a warning 4 swimmers n surfers. #nbcla at 5 n 6 tonight pic.twitter.com/6B1DPJfHTu
— Jane Yamamoto (@JaneNews) May 3, 2015
The Orange County Register reported on Monday morning that waves taller
than 18 feet have already been spotted at the Wedge, a popular
surf spot by Newport Beach.
“It’s a washing machine,” 48-year-old surfer Christopher Scott
told the Register on Sunday. “It can knock the wind out of
you, break people’s bones. Some people don’t realize the power of
The Wedge.”
“Right now, if a surfer came down here, I’d be like, ‘Dude,
what are you doing?’” lifeguard Jonathan Richards told the
paper eight miles up the beach in Huntington on Sunday.
@KUSINews big surf at the wedge today pic.twitter.com/Kjz7Zp43QY
— Jim Grant (@SDjimgrant) May 4, 2015
According to the Associated Press, authorities had to rescue
at least 16 people in Newport Beach on Sunday due to high waves.
Additionally, the Carnival Imagination cruise ship was prompted
to change course and dock in San Diego due to the extreme
conditions.
"Therefore, in the interest of caution, the cruise ship ...
deviated to San Diego," Carnival said in a statement.
Epic waves today! Broken board! #manhattanbeach#Californiapic.twitter.com/iceOyL7Hk1
— Terrance Miller (@tman1109) May 4, 2015
The LA Daily News reported that current swells have been racing
across the Pacific from New Zealand at a rate of around 30 miles
per hour, according to NASA oceanographer Bill Patzert, covering
upwards of 750 miles each day.
“This will carve a new coastline in some areas,” Patzert
predicted.