Genevieve adds to a series of pumping Southern Hemisphere swells hitting the West Coast. Photo: Sean Evans
Warm, El Niño-fueled ocean temperatures have churned up three consecutive storms in the Eastern Pacific basin. The latest, Genevieve, has become the strongest yet, reaching Category 5 hurricane status early Monday morning.
Genevieve was a mere tropical storm on Saturday afternoon, but over the course of 24 hours it rapidly strengthened, becoming a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of nearly 160 miles per hour.
The storm, spinning southwest of the Baja California peninsula, has since slightly weakened to Category 4 with winds of 155 miles per hour. It’s the strongest storm of the season for the Western Hemisphere.
Similar to the storms that preceded Genevieve — tropical storm Elida and Hurricane Fausto — the hurricane is predicted to continue on a northwest track into the Pacific Ocean and not make landfall. It’s not a straight shot at Southern California, but the storm’s power is enough to send a solid pulse of waves to the West Coast.
Surfline says that south-southeast swell from Genevieve will build on Wednesday and continue through to the weekend as the swell angle clocks to the south and southwest. “Good spots (will be) two to three feet overhead,” the forecast reads.
According to the National Hurricane Center, “these swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”
Genevieve is expected to remain a hurricane until Friday as it heads into cooler water and weakens.
