Looking to beat the heat? Watch out for the water at these LA County beaches

You might be tempted to catch a break from the heat at the beach, but people are being warned to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in the ocean in more than a dozen areas across Los Angeles County.

The bacteria levels in the water exceed state health standards, and the L.A. County Department of Public Health continued to expand its warning this week to 16 beaches from Leo Carillo down to San Pedro.

Coming into contact with the ocean in these areas can make you sick, so it’s safest to stay on dry land until further notice.

What you need to know

These are the swim areas that are impacted:

• Las Flores Creek at Las Flores State Beach
• Walnut Creek at Paradise Cove
• Solstice Creek at Dan Blocker County Beach
• Sweetwater Canyon Storm Drain at Carbon Canyon Beach
• Castlerock Storm Drain at Topanga County Beach
• Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro
• Escondido Creek at Escondido State Beach·
• Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey

(The map below shows the affected areas in yellow.)

100 yards up and down the coast is impacted at these beach locations:

• Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu from the public restrooms
• Ballona Creek at Dockweiler State Beach near Dockweiler Tower 40, from the creek
• Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach from the public access steps
• Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove from the Paradise Cove Pier
• Trancas Creek at Zuma Beach from the creek
• Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu from the lagoon
• Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach from the public restrooms
• Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica from the pier

How to stay updated

You can check the conditions at your favorite beach in L.A. County here .

You can also call the county’s beach hotline (800) 525-5662 any time of day for a recorded message that goes over the latest warnings and closures.