NEW YORK, N.Y. (PIX) — On Saturday, local residents had to sweat their way through one of the hottest Fourth of July on record.
Now, our focus turns to the skies as we wait and see if our fireworks shows will be spoiled by severe weather.
PIX11’s Traffic Center
Although conditions have been very quiet throughout most of Saturday, skies are expected to become quite active as we move into Saturday evening and Saturday night. In fact, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is already in effect for most of New Jersey and the Hudson Valley. New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Connecticut are likely to get added to the Watch as the evening progresses.
NYC forecast and PIX11’s Weather Center
According to forecast models, thunderstorms are expected to sweep through the area from west to east between 8 PM and midnight. Some of those storms could be severe and contain downpours, gusty winds, and hail.
In many severe thunderstorms, wind gusts of over 50 mph can develop; with Saturday’s storms, gusts of 75 mph or higher will be possible. This can cause trees to be uprooted and power lines to come down, as was seen across the area Friday evening. Along with that, flooding is a threat, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas…