Winds cause strong rip currents, high surf

The National Weather Service has issued a high-wind advisory for Orange County coastal areas.

Strong offshore flows are predicted to cause gusty Santa Ana winds at about 10 mph with occasional 20 mph gusts, forecasters said.

Most swells are hitting at 3 to 4 feet (waist- to chest-high) with occasional 5-foot swells, forecasters said. Swells are expected to drop slightly by Tuesday, coming in knee- to chest-high with intermittent 4-foot swells.

In front of Newport Beach lifeguard headquarters, the surf was flat for the most part, “road blocked” from any significant swells by Catalina Island, Lifeguard Capt. Boyd Mickley said. Swells didn’t get much higher than between 1 to 2 feet.

Some decent rip currents were present, but they almost always are in Newport Beach, Mickley said.

“If the surf hits at an angle along the shoreline, it keeps moving down until it finds a way back out and that’s when you get the rip current,” Mickley said.

Smaller surf will continue into the week as the old west-northwest winds slacken and swells come in more from the south, according to surfline.com.

— Kelly Strodl