Hurricane Jose: New York City Issued Hazardous Weather Outlook As Storm Nears

UPDATE: The National Hurricane Center's prediction of Hurricane Jose's path changed Saturday afternoon, pushing it further east and taking New York City out of the "cone of uncertainty." The hazardous weather outlook stayed in effect, with the National Weather Service warning of heavy rain and winds starting Tuesday evening.

NEW YORK, NY – The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for New York City as Hurricane Jose continues to bear down.

The potentially strong winds and heavy rain would hit Tuesday into Wednesday, though the service said it's still too early to predict with certainty, the service said.

Jose, currently a Category 1 storm with winds of 80 mph, was located about 550 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C. as of 5 a.m. Saturday. It's now expected to begin turning toward the north. A tropical storm watch may be needed for a portion of the North Carolina coast later Saturday, the National Hurricane Center says.

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Building swells will also pose an increasing threat for high surf, dune erosion, localized washovers and dangerous rip currents along the east coast this weekend through early next week.

The NHC says there's now a 20-30 percent chance of tropical storm-force winds, meaning 39 mph or more, in the city. If Jose maintains its track, tropical storm-force winds are possible from 2 a.m. Tuesday through 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Jose is expected to remain a couple hundred miles offshore, but a hurricane does not need to make landfall to cause significant adverse effects in the Northeast since the shape of the coast tends to enhance storm effects and trap ocean water, according to AccuWeather.

Additional reporting by Ryan Bonner/Patch

Lead image via the National Hurricane Center