King tides as high as 7 feet above sea level hit some San Diego County beaches on Monday, which was capable of causing flooding in low-lying coastal areas.
The high tides were thanks to a phenomenon called king tides, which occurs as a result of a stronger gravitational pull from the moon. When the moon, sun and earth are directly lined up, the moon creates a stronger gravitational pull – which is what will cause the large tides on Monday, according to NBC 7 meteorologist Sheena Parveen.
"Any areas right on the coast that typically see flooding with this, you may see a little bit this morning," Parveen said.
The largest tides were expected to reach San Diego County beaches at about 9 a.m. SkyRanger 7 captured waves reaching the windows of the popular beachside restaurant the Marine Room.
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Extremely elevated tides have been known to cause flooding in places like Imperial Beach and the La Jolla shores and along some bays.
Scientists are using the king tides phenomenon to study the effects of sea level rise. While the king tides are high now, in the future, they could be typical waves for this area, researchers with UC San Diego say.
A project called the California King Tides Project managed by the California Coastal Commission asks for the community to submit photos of the king tide phenomenon for study. Find out more here.
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Editor's Note: La Jolla Shores saw unusually high tides this morning due to King Tides. We incorrectly stated the tides were swells. We regret this error and it has been corrected.
