NYC Weather: Tornado, 58 MPH Winds, Heavy Rain Could Hit City

NEW YORK CITY — A Thursday night soaker could hit New York City with heavy rain, strong wind gusts and even a possible tornado, forecasters warn.

Up to 2 inches of heavy rain is expected to drench the city, while punishing wind gusts lash New Yorkers unlucky enough to be caught outside, according to the National Weather Service.

The threat of downpours, strong winds and isolated thunderstorms will be the worst between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., but could strike earlier, forecasters said.

"Isolated wind gusts in excess of 58 mph and a brief tornado possible this evening," a National Weather Service update states.

The cornucopia of weather threats prompted National Weather Service meteorologists to issue a hazardous weather outlook through Thursday evening.

The strong cold front that threatens New York City is the very same that caused widespread severe weather Wednesday from the Midwest to the South, AccuWeather reported.

"Multiple rounds of windswept rain, some with thunder and lightning, will affect the New York City area Thursday night," an AccuWeather story stated. "The anticipated adverse and potentially severe weather conditions forced Major League Baseball to postpone the ALDS game at Yankee Stadium between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees until Friday."

AccuWeather warned the coming showers and thunderstorms could organize into multiple lines that carry brief periods of strong winds and downpours.

"In other words, it is possible that some of the severe weather will occur without any thunder or lightning," the AccuWeather report states.

Rainfall rates could reach up to 1 inch per hour, which could cause flooding, the National Weather Service warned.

Conditions likely will clear up by Friday morning, but the system will have lingering effects for New York City.

After the storms, high temperatures in the city likely will drop from the lower 70s to the mid-60s by the weekend, according to AccuWeather and the National Weather Service.

Here's the complete National Weather Service forecast.

Thursday Afternoon
Scattered showers. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 7pm and 3am, then a chance of showers after 3am. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Low around 58. Southeast wind 9 to 17 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday
A 30 percent chance of showers before 7am. Sunny, with a high near 66. West wind around 10 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 5 to 9 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

Sunday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.