What to Know
- Relief from the heat comes over the weekend, as temperatures drop down into the 70s on Saturday; Saturday could see some lingering rain but Sunday right now is expected to be dry and a bit warmer
- The chance for heavy rain has triggered a flash flood watch in parts of the tri-state area into early Sunday morning
- The storms that rolled through the tri-state on Friday left heavy damage in some parts
After intense and loud thunderstorms rolled through the tri-state on Friday, leaving a trail of damage in some areas while also taking the heat and humidity away, there remains the chance for flash floods in some parts of the region into Sunday.
Showers and storms could continue into Saturday, but a cold front will help send temperatures from the 90s to the 70s overnight. Particularly vulnerable areas — as well as those still saturated from Henri — will be at risk for flash flooding, as stronger storms could produce locally heavy downpours.
A flash flood watch includes most of New Jersey, as well as the five boroughs and up into Westchester and Rockland counties. Check severe weather alerts here.
There is a chance for stray showers on Sunday as highs bump back up to 80 degrees but it looks to be mostly dry. And while air quality may be still slightly impacted by the the wildfire smoke that has been coming from out west, the great relief comes as the heat wave that featured four straight days of temperatures at or around 90 degrees — along with stifling humidity — will have finally passed.
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Friday was the 17th day this year Central Park has seen temps of 90 degrees or higher, marking another NYC heatwave.
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Once the overall pleasant weekend weather has passed, more unsettled weather returns for most of the work week (the final week of summer, for some.) Expect highs near 86 degrees with a chance of storms on Monday, and more of the same Tuesday, though the showers should hit later at night. Wednesday and Thursday both look to be stormy but cooler, with temps in the 70s but an ongoing threat of rain.
Nicer weather looks to return for Labor Day weekend, with partly sunny skies in the mid to upper 70s.
That was quite the different scene on Friday, when the sound of thunder filled the skies above New York City and the surrounding area. Video from along an NJ Transit line showed streets near the Rutherford Station that looked more like rivers during the evening commute.
Fires also broke out in New Jersey due to the storms, as lightning hit a backyard in Caldwell that turned a shed and garage into charred rubble. In Fairfield, burning wires from a fallen transformer blocked Fairfield and Passaic Avenue.
In Brooklyn, video showed fire raining down from power lines tangled in trees on Alabama Avenue, just steps from homes lining the street. A few blocks away, strong winds sent a tree into the hood of a parked car.
Check the latest weather alerts for your neighborhood
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Hurricane Ida as it continues to strengthen and heads toward the northern Gulf coast this weekend. It could make landfall along the Louisiana coast as a major hurricane Sunday, exactly 16 years after Katrina hit.
Track any approaching storms using our interactive radar below.
