NJ Weather: Tornado Watch In 13 Counties

NEW JERSEY – A tornado watch was issued for 13 New Jersey counties on Monday now that severe storms have hit the Garden State.

Here is where the watch is in effect until 7 p.m. on Monday:

• Atlantic
• Burlington
• Camden
• Cape May
• Cumberland
• Gloucester
• Hunterdon
• Mercer
• Middlesex
• Monmouth
• Ocean
• Salem
• Somerset

Severe storms hit New Jersey on Monday, packing 45-mph winds – or worse – and they could possibly produce a tornado, forecasters say.

More than 1,000 power outages were reported in New Jersey as of 1:30 p.m. More than 500 were reported in Monmouth County and over 400 were reported in Morris.

The National Weather Service has also issued a hazardous weather outlook for the Garden State, saying showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected on Monday afternoon and could last into the evening.

These showers and storms will be capable of producing damaging winds, the National Weather Service says. Widespread minor tidal flooding is possible, with the high tide occurring during the day time on Monday.

AccuWeather says the winds could even be stronger than what the NWS is predicting:

The NWS also has issued a wind advisory until 6 p.m. for the Jersey Shore, saying winds moving at 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, are expected. A coastal flood advisory was issued for South Jersey.

The strengthening storm has already begun to unleash major impacts across much of the eastern half of the country, according to Accuweather. The threat for severe thunderstorms will shift almost completely to the upper part of the Atlantic coast on Monday as the storm system intensifies, according to AccuWeather

"During Monday, an unseasonably moist air mass will be pulled northward along the mid-Atlantic Interstate-95 corridor and into southern New England," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said in an AccuWeather release.

Winds of this magnitude will be strong enough to damage trees and even take down some power lines, leading to power outages, according to AccuWeather.

Here is the forecast:

• Monday: Rain before noon, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after noon. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. High near 67. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
• Monday night: A chance of showers, mainly before 10pm. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Tuesday: A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.