Thunderstorms, Possible Flooding In NJ Wednesday Forecast

NEW JERSEY - Parts of the Garden State are in for a wet and stormy Wednesday, forecasters say.

Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms are set to move into New Jersey by the late afternoon, with the highest impacts to affect the western half of the state, the National Weather Service said.

“Not everyone will see rain but expect that cloudiness will generally increase by this afternoon with some scattered showers and storms developing,” the National Weather Service said in a tweet Wednesday morning.

As of Wednesday morning, five New Jersey counties (Cape May, Monmouth, Salem, Ocean and Atlantic) are under a hazardous weather outlook through Wednesday night.

“Minor coastal flooding is possible,” forecasters said in the outlook. “There is a moderate risk of rip currents.”

High rip currents also remain a risk from 8 a.m. Wednesday through the evening, with “dangerous” rip currents expected at Ocean and Monmouth County beaches.

“Entering the surf is discouraged,” forecasters added. “If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don`t swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.”

Precipitation should taper out by 10 p.m., forecasters said. Thursday will be sunny with highs near 86.

Highs for Wednesday are also set to range from the upper 70s up north to the low 80s for southeast New Jersey, forecasters added.

Here's the latest weather forecast, per the National Weather Service:

Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. North wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 9 and 10 p.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Calm wind.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67.