Hurricane Michael Effect Expected To Bring Torrential Rain To NYC

NEW YORK — A passing cold front combined with elements of Hurricane Michael could bring heavy rainfall to New York City on Thursday, the National Weather Service says. The "potentially catastrophic" category 4 hurricane was headed for the Florida panhandle with winds as strong as 145 MPH on Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Michael is expected to weaken into a tropical cyclone that will pass to the east and south of the New York City area, the weather service says. But the storm will be picked up by the cold front that will approach the area on Wednesday night and result in sometimes heavy rainfall, according to the weather service.

More than an inch of rain is expected to hit Central Park by early Friday morning, with thunder also possible throughout the day Thursday, the weather service's latest forecast shows. The showers will come amid the cold front and a plume of tropical moisture moving in from the south "between offshore high pressure and Michael," the weather service says.

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The showers will follow a humid and unusually warm Wednesday with a high temperature near 78 degrees, the weather service says. Chillier fall weather is on its way behind the rain, with a high near just 59 expected on Saturday.

Here's a closer look at what to expect from the weather this week as Hurricane Michael hits the Southeast, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Wednesday
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Wednesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind around 7 mph.

Thursday
Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 10am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Steady temperature around 72. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2am, then showers likely. Low around 62. Southwest wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday
A 30 percent chance of showers before 8am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a temperature falling to around 60 by 5pm. Northwest wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

Saturday
A 30 percent chance of showers after 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 61.

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.

(Lead image: Clouds linger over Lower Manhattan on Sept. 18, 2018. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)