Surf's up: Hurricane Marie sends big waves to Southern California

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Waves up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) high generated by a Pacific Ocean hurricane will hammer Southern California beaches in coming days, creating dangerous conditions for beachgoers and threatening coastal flooding, meteorologists said on Tuesday. Hurricane Marie, a Category 2 storm located about 550 miles southwest of Mexico's Baja California, will generate the big swells even though it is moving away from the U.S. West Coast, said National Weather Service weather specialist Stuart Ceto. Beaches in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including the celebrity haven of Malibu, will see 10- to 15-foot (3- to 4.6-meter) -high waves from Tuesday to Friday, Ceto said. Parts of coastal Orange County will see waves of between 8 and 15 feet (2.4 and 4.6 meters), while certain beaches in San Diego County will face breakers of up to 7 feet (2.1 meters), said National Weather Service meteorologist Brett Albright. A Weather Service advisory on Tuesday warned of life-threatening surf and rip current conditions as a result of the wave swells in Southern California, and the possibility of minor coastal flooding. The Los Angeles County Fire Department, which provides lifeguards for beaches, warned on its website that people should stay off jetties and breakwalls through Friday to avoid getting swept away by large waves. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Walsh)