Thunderstorms, Heavy Rain In NJ Forecast: See Timeline

NEW JERSEY — Thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected to move through New Jersey on Wednesday night, with potential for flash flooding in areas that were hit hard by remnants of Hurricane Ida last week.

Severe storms with hail and dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning are possible throughout the Garden State. Wednesday’s anticipated storm could also produce damaging winds up to 60 mph and isolated tornadoes capable of bringing down trees and power lines, the National Weather Service said.

The greatest threat of strong winds and potential tornadoes is north of Interstate 195 and west of Interstate 95, according to the service.

As of Wednesday morning, a flash flood watch has been issued for Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Warren and Union counties. The watch expires at 4 a.m. in the five northeast counties and 2 a.m. elsewhere.

We have issued a flash flood watch over roughly the NW half of our area for Wed afternoon/evening. 1-2 inches of rainfall will be possible and this combined with the saturated conditions will create a flooding threat

A full briefing will be sent later this afternoon.#njwx #pawx pic.twitter.com/byeaAsNnLw
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) September 7, 2021

“Given the very saturated soils from recent heavy rain events, additional brief heavy rainfall of one to two inches may quickly lead to flooding of flood prone and other low-lying areas due to rapid runoff,” the service said.

According to the weather service, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday. While new rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch are expected, there could be higher amounts in areas that get thunderstorms.

The chance of rain continues into Wednesday night, when some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. The chance of precipitation increases to 80 percent Wednesday night. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible, according to forecasters.

In addition to the forecasted storm, Hurricane Larry was churning the Atlantic Ocean with 115 mph winds several hundred miles southwest of Bermuda on Wednesday. Larry, a major category 3 hurricane, could cause "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions" along the Jersey Shore and other parts of the East Coast through Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A rip current watch is in effect from 8 a.m. on Wednesday through Wednesday evening in Monmouth, Atlantic and Cape May counties.

"Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore and into deeper water," the National Weather Service said. "The elevated risk of dangerous rip currents will likely continue on Thursday and Friday, and perhaps into Saturday."

The latest round of potentially heavy rain comes just a week after the remnants from Hurricane Ida pounded the region on Sept. 1, with flooding that devastated several towns and tornadoes that leveled at least 20 homes. More than 40 people in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania died in the wake of the storm. At least 27 of those who perished hailed from the Garden State, Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed on Monday. Read more: President Biden Declares NJ A Major Disaster Area: What It Means

In the Garden State, meteorologists from Mount Holly have determined that three tornadoes struck Burlington, Mercer and Gloucester counties during the weather event.

Here’s the latest forecast:

Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 a.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Low around 68. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 60. Northwest wind around 5 mph.