Already-battered coastal communities in the Southland are bracing for yet another round of high surf, but this time, thanks to the Hunter’s Moon.
A coastal flood advisory will go into effect at 5 a.m. Sunday for the region’s beaches, with forecasters warning of possible record high tides.
High tides between 7.5 and 8 feet are expected during the morning hours Sunday through Thursday over all coastal areas, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters said Monday through Wednesday’s tides could challenge the current record of 7.93 feet set in San Pedro on Jan. 10, 2005. Records go back to 1924.
Another set of exceptionally high tides are expected to arrive in the next week, and an already-battered Long Beach coast is preparing. Annette Arreola reports for Today in LA on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.
The coastal flood advisory runs from 5 a.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Thursday, and applies to Los Angeles and Orange County beaches.
“It’s going to be a pretty busy season in terms of the El Niño pattern here,” NBC4 Meteorologist Shanna Mendiola said. “It’s not a guarantee, but those types of storms that we saw could continue, especially at the coast where we’re seeing concerns for that high tide.”
The Hunter’s Moon, which is expected to peak Sunday Night, is to blame for the high surf.
“Now, the gravitational pull from the moon is going to enhance what we’re going to see at the coast,” Mendiola said. “So those high tides, we’re expecting the rise in the level of water is all due to that as well as the fact that water is very, very warm due to El Niño.”
Areas of Long Beach, Malibu and Newport Beach have already seen substantial damage to homes from high surf in recent weeks.
At the same time, warmer weather is expected to prevail in the Southland early next week, with daytime highs mostly in the mid- to upper 70s.
By mid-week, however, cooler conditions will follow with growing potential for a significant storm system toward the end of next week.