Special Marine Warning Issued for Southern California Inner Waters Including Malibu and Santa Catalina Island
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Special Marine Warning for the inner waters between Point Mugu and San Mateo Point due to severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Southern California Inner Waters
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Southern California Inner Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard CA has issued a Special Marine Warning for the inner waters of Southern California. This alert is classified as a severe meteorological event with immediate urgency, as radar has detected hazardous conditions moving through the region.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Point, CA. This includes:
- Santa Catalina Island
- Anacapa Island
- King Harbor
- Point Dume
- Redondo Beach and Redondo Beach Pier
- Malibu
What You Should Do
Mariners and residents in the affected coastal areas are advised to avoid the inner waters. Waterspouts can easily overturn boats and create locally hazardous seas. Small craft are particularly vulnerable and could be damaged by briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves. Seek safe harbor immediately if you are currently on the water.
Expected Conditions
Severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 8 nautical miles northwest of Santa Monica Pier to 8 nautical miles north of Santa Barbara Island. These storms are moving east at 25 knots.
Primary hazards include:
- Waterspouts: Potential for waterspout formation has been detected via radar.
- Wind: Wind gusts of up to 40 knots are expected.
- Seas: Suddenly higher waves and hazardous sea conditions.
Timeline
The warning was issued at 3:15 PM PST on February 16, 2026. The alert is effective immediately and is scheduled to expire at 4:00 PM PST on February 16, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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