New York City, Philadelphia under Severe Thunderstorm Watch as damaging wind, hail threaten I-95 corridor
According to the FOX Forecast Center, there is a chance for a few tornadoes from New York City north to Burlington, Vermont closer to an area of low pressure and higher wind shear.
Severe storms possible in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York Thursday
Severe storms are possible in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York Thursday afternoon. The primary threat is damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph.
WASHINGTON – Washington, Philadelphia, New York City and other heavily populated areas across the Interstate 95 corridor in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast are under Severe Thunderstorm Watches Thursday, part of a sprawling severe weather threat that covers more than 134 million people.
The watches last until late Thursday evening, with possible threats of damaging wind gusts of up to 60 mph and large hail up to 1 inch in diameter.
Some thunderstorms have already caused delays in air travel around the Northeast. New York's JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport all issued ground delays Thursday afternoon due to storms.
Thunder cracks in New York City as storms move into the Northeast
Thunderstorms rolled through New York City and Jersey City on Thursday afternoon, the opening salvo as the region remains under threat of renewed severe weather into the night.
TORNADO DAMAGE SEEN IN OHIO VALLEY AS DERECHO KNOCK OUT POWER TO NEARLY HALF A MILLION
These storms are being driven by a low-pressure system moving out of the Midwest, Great Lakes and Ohio Valley where a derecho left a trail of destruction Wednesday. More than 93,000 power outages were reported in Indiana, and more than 73,000 have been reported in Ohio as of Thursday morning.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, a serial derecho ripped across the Ohio Valley across a 580-mile stretch from Illinois to western Pennsylvania on Wednesday. The windstorm produced reports of tornadoes in Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan. A 71-mph wind gust that brought down powerlines was recorded in Owen, Indiana on Wednesday night.
Washington, Baltimore in bull's-eye of severe weather threat Thursday
A broad severe weather threat covers parts of the Southeast through parts of Maine on Thursday.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms covering the densely populated metro areas of Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Newark, New Jersey. Staten Island in the New York City metro area is also in the zone.
A Level 2 out of 5 threat covers the rest of New York City and a wide swath of the Northeast, as well as parts of Virginia and North Carolina to the south, where some areas were also issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.
Severe thunderstorms are expected to fire up during the mid- to late-afternoon hours, threatening the evening commute and, as already seen, air travel at some of the country's busiest airports.
Damaging wind gusts are primary threat, with tornadoes possible in New York City
Damaging wind gusts of up to 60 mph are expected to be the main severe weather threat, with the greatest risk in the same area where the Level 3 out of 5 risk was issued in the mid-Atlantic.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, there is a chance of a few tornadoes from New York City north to Burlington, Vermont, closer to an area of low pressure and higher wind shear.
Storms are expected to clear by Friday morning.