Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain could hit the NYC area Saturday, and the threat includes flash flooding, damaging wind gusts and an isolated tornado. The National Weather Service says a flood watch starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and runs until 2 a.m. Sunday for northeast New Jersey, New York City and southern Westchester.
Late Saturday morning into Saturday evening, the weather service expects multiple rounds of heavy downpours and thunderstorms across the New York City region. Average rainfall totals should be around 1 to 1.5 inches, but localized swaths of 2 to 4 inches are possible, with rainfall rates reaching 1.5 to 2 inches per hour and 2 to 3 inches in a three-hour period.
New York City region flood watch
The highest flash flooding risk is across northeast New Jersey, the NYC metro and southern Westchester. The flooding could be locally significant and may bring transportation disruptions, basement flooding and water rescues in urban, poor-drainage and low-lying areas.
The exact timing and location of the strongest storms may not be clear until a few hours before they develop. People in the watch area will need to track later updates closely, since the most intense rain can set up quickly inside the same broad metro area.
Gusts of 60 to 70 mph
Damaging wind gusts are the main severe weather concern. Gusts of 60 to 70 mph or higher are possible, with the highest damaging wind risk across northeast New Jersey, the NYC metro and the Lower Hudson Valley.
The strongest gusts could damage trees and power lines and cause power outages. An isolated tornado is also possible, with the highest tornado risk across northeast New Jersey into the NYC metro.
Saturday and the beaches
Smoke is expected to continue affecting the area through Saturday afternoon, and dangerous rip currents are expected at ocean beaches through Saturday evening. Anyone heading to the beach should avoid swimming near jetties, piers and rocks and should only swim where lifeguards are on duty.
For readers in the watch area, the immediate plan is simple: keep travel flexible Saturday, and treat low-lying streets and basement-level spaces as the first places that can flood if the heavier bands arrive overhead.
