The local office of the National Weather Service has issued a new Beach Hazards Statement concerning elevated risks of strong rip currents and sneaker waves at Bay Area beaches. In effect through Wednesday morning, the warning extends from the beaches of Big Sur to the Point Reyes National Seashore. As SFGATE reports, the warning from the San Francisco office of the NWS arrives amidst windy conditions that may see gusts as high as 28 mph in the downtown area as the city continues Pride weekend celebrations. For similar reasons, the NWS has also issued a Gale Warning that covers the related span of coastal waters. That warning will be in effect starting at 3pm today and is set to expire tomorrow, June 28, at 3am.Saturday's hazard warning follows a recent spate of alarming beach-related incidents across Northern California.Earlier this month, a mother and daughter standing at Baker Beach had to be rescued by first responders after a sneaker wave swept them nearly 100 feet offshore. Last month, SFist reported on a fisherman who was hospitalized in critical condition after he too was pulled into the ocean by a sneaker wave at Baker Beach.Additional sneaker wave incidents in the month of May include lifelong fisherwoman and local resident Bae Codotte being swept into the ocean in Pacifica. Following rescue, Codotte survived her ordeal but subsequently required hospitalization. That same month, ABC 7 reported on the tragic deaths of two Bay Area teenagers suspected of being swept away by a sneaker wave after camping on a secluded beach in Santa Cruz County. The victims at Panther Beach were ultimately identified by authorities as 20-year-old Mahial Sran of San Jose State University and UC Berkeley student Harshita Nair.Guidance per the NWS includes staying off jetties, piers, rocks and other waterside infrastructure for the duration of the warning. They also encourage potential beachgoers to "remain out of the water to avoid hazardous surf" and to never leave one's back facing the ocean. This latest warning from the NWS follows a previous Beach Hazard Statement issued for the same geographic area on June 19.Related: Mother and Daughter Rescued at Baker Beach After Sneaker Wave Pulls Them OffshoreImage: East Bluff Picnic Area, San Francisco, April 2026 (Nishat Samadzai/Unsplash) ...read more read less