10-Foot Breakers Possible Amid Holiday High Surf Warning

MALIBU (CBSLA.com) — If you have plans to head to the beach this Labor Day weekend, make sure there's a lifeguard on duty wherever you plant your towel.

KNX 1070's John Brooks reports the forecast calls for high surf and dangerous rip currents along Southern California's shores.

National Weather Service forecasters say a "building southerly swell" is expected to bring waves between six to eight feet to local beaches starting Friday morning through Sunday afternoon, with the largest surf peaking Friday night into Saturday afternoon.

South- and southwest-facing beaches like Zuma Beach, Point Dume, and other parts of Malibu could see waves as high as 10 feet throughout the weekend.

Santa Monica surfer Myra was skeptical of those numbers as she watched the relative small breakers crash at Surfrider Beach in Malibu.

"On a rogue wave, maybe," she said. "Maybe."

Forecasters attributed the large swell behind the high surf to wave energy generated by a storm in the South Pacific and Tropical Storm Ileana off the Mexican coast. They also warn that minor beach erosion and some coastal flooding is possible during high tide.

Thousands of visitors are expected at local beaches over the holiday weekend ahead of seasonably warm temperatures and partly sunny skies.

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