For any Long Beach residents who may have noticed planes flying in the opposite direction out of Long Beach Airport this morning, officials say it’s due to the weather.

Flight traffic was diverted east around 9 a.m. this morning by the air traffic control tower, according to spokesperson Kate Kuykendall, meaning that planes were flying over California Heights and neighborhoods south of Heartwell Park.

“This is not super unusual, but it can be surprising when residents see the aircraft flying in a different direction,” said Kuykendall. “It has to do with the winds. Aircraft need to land and take off into the wind, so if the winds shift, then the flight pattern must shift.”

It’s unclear how long the flight paths at the airport will be affected, but it depends on the weather, Kuykendall said. High winds and heavy rain brought on by a severe winter storm that swept through the area in recent days are expected to continue through Wednesday.

According to Kuykendall, the diversion has not caused any delays.