People heading to the beach to beat the heat in the Bay Area over the next few days are being warned about dangerous surf conditions that will coincide with rising temperatures.
As the heat builds from Tuesday through Friday, the Bay Area is expected to endure some potentially record-breaking temperatures, while a large ocean swell from the west-northwest will create sneaker waves and high surf during the same period.
“The combination of the two events along the coast will pose a serious threat to life for those visiting beaches exposed to the open Pacific,” weather service officials said.
Temperatures are expected to peak from the mid-80s to mid-90s on Thursday in most places around the region, including the San Francisco Peninsula, Santa Cruz County and the East, South and North Bay areas.
Weather service officials said sneaker waves, high surf, and rip currents will be a concern for beachgoers, who should never turn their back on the ocean.
From Friday to Monday, the area will experience a cool-down as the high-pressure system that brought the heat moves off to the east. This will result in cool ocean breezes, lower temperatures, clouds and the potential for light rain or drizzle returning later next week.