Hurricane Marie caused hazardous conditions along Southern California beaches during the Labor Day weekend, with powerful waves and strong ocean currents posing a risk to swimmers and surfers. Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said on Sunday that the storm created "life-threatening" conditions as it moved far out in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles off California’s coast. Some beaches facing south have seen waves as high as 10 feet (3 meters), she noted. Schoenfeld said lifeguards have reported particularly dangerous rip currents—strong, narrow channels of water that pull swimmers away from the shore. Although Hurricane Marie is not expected to make landfall, it will weaken to a tropical storm by late Sunday and bring rain to parts of Los Angeles County before eventually dissipating. Some areas have already received up to a quarter inch of rain since the storm began around 4 a.m. local time on Sunday, Schoenfeld said. The National Weather Service has urged people to swim only in areas where lifeguards are present and to avoid rock jetties. In Long Beach, the city’s health officer issued a warning advising people not to swim at any of the city’s beaches or bays for at least three days. The advisory said heavy rain since Saturday would lead to runoff from storm drains and rivers, creating unhealthy conditions for swimmers. In Seal Beach, a coastal city in Orange County, officials announced on Sunday that they would close two beachfront parking lots until Wednesday morning to protect people and property from expected high surf and coastal flooding. The Seal Beach Municipal Pier, however, remained open. Meanwhile, lifeguards in Newport Beach, a coastal city about 40 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, reported 177 rescues on Saturday. While the beach has seen larger waves this summer compared to recent years, that number of daily rescues is still considered high, said Adam Yacenda, the lifeguard battalion chief for the fire department. "Any time you’re approaching over 100, that’s a busy day," he said. Yacenda emphasized that only trained professionals should attempt to swim in the area, noting the presence of strong currents moving along the shoreline and out to sea, including "very strong rip currents." He said the beach was under "red-flag conditions" from one end to the other, indicating extreme danger for swimmers. The storm also posed a risk of coastal flooding along beaches, bike paths, roads, and some low-lying neighborhoods. The National Hurricane Center warned that dangerous beach conditions were expected to continue for another couple of days.