Malibu, Meet the Fujiwhara Effect: When Two Hurricanes Dance Play

The latest computer runs show big Hurricane Polo waves likely for Malibu this weekend, and into next week. The sea level is already elevated due to ocean heat and the "Kelvin waves" from El Nino, pushing water elevations up about one foot over normal.

But the hurricane-related rain will probably be pushed east of us, causing flooding in Sonora, Arizona and New Mexico, Swain said.

As of Tuesday night, Polo was a monster.

"This is a really impressive form structurally," UC Meteorlogist Daniel Swain said today. "Believe it or not, yesterday this was not even a hurricane. "

Swain said 200 mile per hour gusts may be occurring in Hurricane Polo this evening.

California, meet the Fujiwhara Effect: when two tropical storms spinning in the same direction pass close enough to each other, they begin an intense dance around their common center.

Hurricane Polo, and the leftover remnants of Tropical Storm Odalys and Hurricane Polo, may enter into a Fujiwhjara relationship off the western tip of Baja California.

Polo is already stronger than the top limits of what a Category 5 hurricane would be, theoretically a "Category 6," bigger than anything contemplated back when hurricane intensity scales were invented, said Swain.

If one hurricane is a lot stronger than the other, the smaller one will orbit it and eventually come crashing into its vortex to be absorbed. That might happen as Odalys gets sucked into Polo.

Two storms closer in strength can gravitate towards each other until they reach a common point and merge, or merely spin each other around for a while before shooting off on their own paths.

In rare occasions, the effect is additive when the hurricanes come together, resulting in one larger storm instead of two smaller ones.

In terms of waves in Malibu, the lunar tide tables predict high tides above 7.0 feet above median sea level, picking up at about 10 a.m. Monday and increasing slightly, topping out about one half hour later each day. But the NWS has said actual observed tides are running 6-12 inches above predictions.