The first tropical storm of the season is headed toward Orange County, filling in tonight and bringing head-high sets through Tuesday and Wednesday.

The swell was moving through Baja on Monday, bringing big surf to the shores of Cabo. Tropical storm Boris will likely ease up on its way to Orange County, said  Sean Collins, chief forecaster at Surfline.com.

While the surf won’t be huge, the swell does mark an early arrival of the first tropical storm, which usually shows up late July, Collins said.

“It’s hopefully a sign for bigger swells to come,” he said.

Boris showed near hurricane strength at about 55 knots yesterday and today, but likely will not turn into a full-blown hurricane.

The areas that will likely see the effects of Boris – coming in from the south/southeast direction - will be northern Orange County in the Newport and Huntington Beach areas. The storm will likely drop on Thursday and Friday, leaving calmer waters for Fourth of July beachgoers.

Laguna Beach Marine Safety Lt. Tom Trager said that beachgoers should know their limitations before hitting the water, and should check with lifeguards to find out about any hazards. Trager also said the wind has kicked up, chilling the water back down to about 63 degrees.

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