New York City is bracing for potentially severe weather on Thursday, characterized by damaging winds, heavy rain, and scattered thunderstorms. This tumultuous weather is expected ahead of a looming heat wave next week.
Warm temperatures coupled with high humidity are setting the stage for thunderstorms that are predicted to develop in the afternoon, posing a risk to the evening commute and air travel due to damaging wind gusts that could reach up to 60 mph.
“Watch out for scattered severe thunderstorms today,” stated FOX 5 NY’s Audrey Puente. “The timing seems to be after about 3 or 4 p.m. until sunset tonight. The primary concern will be damaging winds, but we could also see rounds of heavy rainfall, quick downpours, and possibly even small hail or isolated tornadoes within some of these storms.”
The National Weather Service (NWS) has highlighted the risks associated with today’s severe weather potential, noting an increase in severe thunderstorms for northeastern New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and southwestern Connecticut. According to the NWS, such an enhanced risk for severe weather is typically observed only once or twice a year.
In terms of the weather outlook, parts of the Tri-State area—including most of New York City, Long Island, and Connecticut—are currently under a “slight risk” for severe weather. This classification indicates a greater likelihood that some storms may produce damaging winds, severe hail, and potential tornadoes. In contrast, much of New Jersey has been classified under an “enhanced risk” category, signifying a high confidence level that multiple storms will pose threats of damaging winds, severe hail, and tornadoes.
For Thursday, the forecast shows a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms primarily after 5 p.m., with some storms potentially being severe. The day is expected to be mostly sunny, with a high near 86 degrees. The NWS underscores that the enhanced threat for severe thunderstorms is likely to peak between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m., although isolated storms may start as early as 1 p.m.
As night falls, there remains a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m., with the possibility of severe storms. The early evening is forecasted to be cloudy, gradually clearing later, with an expected low around 70 degrees.
On Friday, the weather is predicted to be sunny, reaching a high near 81 degrees, with storms expected to clear out by the morning.
The main threats posed by today’s storms include damaging wind gusts exceeding 58 mph, heavy rainfall, and scattered thunderstorms, potentially resulting in minor flooding in some areas. The NWS has warned of a more organized threat of severe thunderstorms leading to possible bowing lines of storms or multicell clusters, especially between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.
The NWS has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for various parts of the Tri-State area, which will remain in effect until 9 p.m.
Looking ahead, next week is expected to usher in a heat wave affecting New York City from Sunday through Thursday. Although the temperature may not universally reach the 100-degree mark, the combination of high temperatures and elevated humidity will likely make it feel significantly warmer.
The forecast for the upcoming days includes partly sunny conditions with a high near 86 degrees on Sunday, followed by sunny weather on Monday with a high near 88 degrees, and temperatures approaching 90 degrees by Tuesday. Wednesday is also expected to feature sunny skies, with highs around 88 degrees.
Historically, New York City has only achieved the 100-degree threshold three times during the month of June. The NWS is likely to issue various heat-related alerts in the coming days, which may encompass heat advisories, extreme heat watches, and warnings depending on the anticipated severity and duration of the local weather conditions.
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