Published: 14:36 BST, 2 September 2026 | Updated: 15:05 BST, 2 September 2026
Another hurricane is forming in the Pacific, and weather models predict this one may come closer or even land a direct hit on the California Coast.
Tropical Storm Marie is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday, with sustained winds of more than 75 mph.
It is currently moving along the coast of Mexico and will soon reach the Baja California Peninsula, the thin, 775-mile-long strip of land right below California and the US-Mexico border.
The National Hurricane Center has warned that Marie is expected to remain a hurricane through Sunday as it barrels up the West Coast.
However, new spaghetti models, which track all possible paths of tropical storms and hurricanes, warn that Marie has a strong likelihood of turning directly towards Southern California, potentially making landfall in Los Angeles or San Diego.
The National Weather Service has already warned beachgoers in Los Angeles that there is a high risk for large waves and dangerous rip currents throughout the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Coastal flooding is also predicted to be a concern along beaches and shorelines facing the south this weekend.
A Pacific cyclone has never made landfall in California at hurricane strength. The last tropical storm to make landfall was in September 1997 when Nora crossed from Mexico into the US.
Tropical Storm Marie (Pictured) is expected to reach hurricane status on September 2, 2026
Marie is expected to remain a hurricane through at least Sunday, September 6
Two major forecasting models, the so-called American and European models, both show multiple tracks which could take Marie towards a historic landfall in Southern California.
Meteorologist Levi Cowan aggregated dozens of these potential routes from the National Weather Service's Global Forecast System and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts to build the latest spaghetti models.
Those models, seen on Cowan's website Tropical Tidbits, largely agree that the Pacific Cyclone will continue rolling along the Baja Peninsula through the weekend, but its path after that becomes unclear.
Roughly half of the predictions show Marie turning east and spiraling into multiple California cities, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Clara and Santa Barbara.
