A run of tropical swell will grace Southern California breaks by mid-week. Photo: WSL
Tropical Storm Iselle could become a hurricane within 24 hours, sending a dose of swell to Southern California by mid-week. Iselle became a named storm on Sunday, August 23, and is currently spinning southwest of Cabo San Lucas with wind speeds of 65 mph.
According to the National Hurricane Center, “some strengthening is expected over the next 12 to 24 hours, and Iselle could become a hurricane by (Monday night).” If it exceeds the 74 mph threshold, it would become the fourth hurricane of the season in the Central/Eastern Pacific, following Fausto, Genevieve, and Lala.
Iselle is already in the Southern California swell window and will continue to move deeper into it with a track to the northwest. Models are predicting a modest mid-period south swell of 4.8 feet at 12-second intervals will hit the California coast late Tuesday through Friday. Due to the extreme southerly angle, Northern California won’t get in on the action.
Aug 24 5AM PDT: NHC is monitoring multiple areas in the eastern Pacific for tropical development. This is in addition to the 3 systems that have already formed, #Lala, #Moke, and #Iselle. Stay tuned for the latest updates. pic.twitter.com/RZ6pKWGqn3
— NHC Pacific (@NHC_Pacific) August 24, 2026
If it becomes a hurricane, Iselle is expected to return to tropical storm status quickly and will veer more to the west. As a result, swell production in Southern California will be limited to fun, playful surf.
After a lull in tropical activity, long-range forecasts suggest Iselle could be the start of an active stretch for the Eastern Pacific tropics. Keep an eye on the forecasts towards the end of the week into next week — there could be a few more hurricanes brewing.
