Lane storms up swell, stout surf

Jasmine Lee

NEWPORT BEACH -- Tropical Storm Lane pumped up the waves at Newport’s

beaches Monday, creating a 6-foot southerly swell for surfers and

red-flag conditions for beachgoers.

Formerly a hurricane but downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday, Lane

was about 560 miles southwest of the Orange County coast Monday evening,

said Greg Martin, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service office

in San Diego.

The storm system, headed north from Mexican waters and producing wind

gusts up to 75 mph, started kicking up waves in Newport on Monday

afternoon and will likely continue to do so for a few days.

Although some weather reports estimated that breakers could reach

heights of up to 20 feet at south-facing beaches, Martin said Newport

Beach’s maximum surf would be 7 feet today and Wednesday.

The southerly swell was welcomed Monday by surfers, who made the most

of the conditions. However, the waves were not to be taken lightly.

Newport Beach lifeguards put a few additional staff members on duty and

posted red flags Monday to warn beachgoers of the dangerous waters.

Because the summer season is waning, there was only a small crowd at

the beach Monday, said Rob Williams, a Newport Beach lifeguard. He noted,

however, that the waves were dangerous for inexperienced surfers and

swimmers and that lifeguards had made six rescues.

“It wasn’t out of the ordinary -- not for hurricane season,” Williams

said.

Hurricane season, which runs through summer and early fall, makes for

good surf, he said. Swells from the southern hemisphere produce uneven

waves and are usually larger.

As for any effects on local weather, hurricanes in the eastern Pacific

usually behave like Lane has -- they lose power and fade into tropical

storms or depressions by the time they pass Southern California.

Forecaster Martin said this particular storm is expected to pass

Newport-Mesa and travel northeast. There will be morning clouds and some

humidity, but little, if any, rain is expected.