NYC to be hit by 'multiple' thunderstorms as tornadoes and winds forecast for the tri-state area

A set of severe storms poised to hit New York City and the rest of the tri-state Monday will bring heavy downpours, highspeed winds, and possibly tornadoes – right at the peak of rush hour.

The storm system, which weather officials say will bring damaging winds of up to 65 mph, is expected to begin overtaking parts of the tri-state by around 2 pm.

The worst of the severe weather, however, will hit the Big Apple between 4 pm and 6 pm, officials say – just as millions of straphangers are expected to commute home.

A set of storms poised to hit New York City and the rest of the tri-state Monday will bring heavy downpours, highspeed winds, and possibly tornadoes - right at the peak of rush hour

A set of storms poised to hit New York City and the rest of the tri-state Monday will bring heavy downpours, highspeed winds, and possibly tornadoes – right at the peak of rush hour

The worst of the severe weather - brought on by a cold front from the west (pictured) - will hit the city between 4 and 6 pm, officials say - threatening millions of straphangers' commutes. The Hudson Valley is also expected to be hit hard, with winds up to 65mph and heavy rain

The worst of the severe weather – brought on by a cold front from the west (pictured) – will hit the city between 4 and 6 pm, officials say – threatening millions of straphangers’ commutes. The Hudson Valley is also expected to be hit hard, with winds up to 65mph and heavy rain

Also expected to get hit hard is the mid-to-lower Hudson Valley, meteorologists say, bringing heavy downpours and potentially damaging winds that could tear down power lines and tree limbs, causing scattered power outages.

Experts also say that the system – brought on by a cold front from the west – may also bring an isolated tornado, as well quarter-sized hail that has the potential to ding cars.

‘With the wind shear and with the instability, there’s an environment there that you could have an isolated tornado,’ meteorologist John Murray of the The National Weather Service (NWS) warned Sunday afternoon.   

Still, the likelihood of a tornado, Murray says, is slim – with the weather expert estimating just a 2 to 5 percent possibility of a twister. 

If one does materialize, parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Upstate New York would be the most at risk, as well as the Big Apple.

‘The main threat should be damaging winds,’ he said.

The Department of Buildings advised property owners to take precautionary measures due to the strong winds. 

The Office of Emergency Management issued a travel advisory for Monday afternoon due to the expected severe weather.

The storm system, which weather officials say will bring damaging winds of up to 65 mph, is expected to begin overtaking parts of the tri-state around 2 pm

The storm system, which weather officials say will bring damaging winds of up to 65 mph, is expected to begin overtaking parts of the tri-state around 2 pm

Experts also say that the system - brought on by a cold front from the west - may also bring an isolated tornado, as well quarter-sized hail that has the potential to ding cars

Experts also say that the system – brought on by a cold front from the west – may also bring an isolated tornado, as well quarter-sized hail that has the potential to ding cars

The severity of the storm, experts say, will vary from each region of the tristate.

According to the NWS Storm Prediction Center – which rates areas threatened by severe weather with risks of ‘enhanced,’ ‘marginal,’ or ‘slight’ – parts of the Hudson Valley were in the ‘enhanced’ risk category as of Sunday afternoon. 

New York City, meanwhile, along with the western portion of Long Island, are in the ‘marginal’ category, while eastern Long Island – which experts say will be spared by the brunt of the storm as it starts to sputter out – is in for a ‘slight’ risk. 

The service further warns of the possibility of hail of up to one inch in diameter, if the storm swells as experts expect. The severe weather – which will primarily affect New York and parts of Pennsylvania – is expected between 2 pm and 10 pm.

‘Most of the activity is expected to be within that time range,’ Murray said Sunday. ‘The threats for severe weather include damaging winds with wind gusts of at least 58 miles per hour, with large hail also possible.’

The storm will then subside by Tuesday, the NWS says, making way for a sunny, clear day for the majority of the tristate. 

New Yorkers can then expect a breezy day with a high of roughly 75 degrees and a low of about 55 degrees, the service said Monday.

The likelihood of a tornado, experts say, is slim - but if one does materialize, parts of Pennsylvania and Upstate New York would be the most at risk, as well as New York City

The likelihood of a tornado, experts say, is slim – but if one does materialize, parts of Pennsylvania and Upstate New York would be the most at risk, as well as New York City

No flash flooding is anticipated at this time – however, localized flooding is likely to occur due to expected heavy rainfall.

The storms will also likely limit citizens’ chances of spotting Monday night’s total Lunar Eclipse, as hurricane season looms on the horizon.

This year’s season, due to start June 1, will be particularly active, due to above-average sea surface temperatures, according to meteorologist Chia-Ying Lee, of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

‘When people think about more active years, it can mean more storms or the storms are more strong,’ Lee told CBS News of approaching season. She said to expect both.

Kevin Reed, of Stony Brook University, told the outlet: ‘The forecasts that are coming out are expecting about anywhere from kind of 17 to 18 to 19 storms.’

A typical year generally generates roughly 14 named storms – something that may permanently change due to rising sea temperatures, says Reed.

‘The sea surface temperatures of the north Atlantic have increased over the last 50-plus years and are continuing to increase because of external factors such as climate change,’ the weather expert told the outlet Tuesday. 

‘It’s going forward that we will have more intense storms, as well as storms that are dumping more rainfall.’

source: dailymail.co.uk