Damaging Winds, Large Hail Possible Tuesday For Long Island

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has placed Long Island in its "slight" risk category for severe thunderstorms on Tuesday.

The odds of showers and thunderstorms will increase through Tuesday morning, with the best chances in the afternoon and evening hours as a cold front moves through.

The primary threats from any severe storms will be damaging winds and large hail, the NWS says. There is also a flash flood threat for the area, with torrential rainfall likely in any storms that develop.

"How much daytime heating and where the warm sector sets up will determine the severity of the thunderstorms and who gets them," Joe Cioffi, a meteorologist for WPIX-TV and FiOS1 News, writes on his website.

The bulk of the rain will likely fall during the afternoon and early evening hours, the NWS says. Rain should end by early Wednesday, but there's a slight chance of thunderstorms sticking around long enough to slow the Wednesday morning commute.