NYC weather alert: Severe storms possible Thursday, heat wave expected next week

NEW YORK CITY - A wild stretch of weather is expected to engulf the New York City area in the coming days, bringing a mixed bag of heavy rain, thunderstorms and dangerous heat.

JUMP TO: SEVERE WEATHER THREAT l UPCOMING HEAT WAVE

First, the region on Thursday faces the threat of severe weather, including damaging winds and the possibility of an isolated tornado. Meanwhile, next week is expected to be dry, but a heat wave could bring along temperatures in the high-90s.

Here's what you need to know about the weather this week in New York City, including the timing and impacts of Thursday's potential severe weather, as well as next week's chances for a heat wave.

Weather in NYC this week: Severe weather

Timeline:

Parts of the Tri-State area, including New York City, were placed under a Level 2 out of 5 threat. The slight category is defined by the National Weather Service (NWS) as "increased confidence that some storms will contain damaging winds, severe hail, and/or tornado potential."

• Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 77. The chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Wednesday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. The chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Some of the storms could be severe. Increasing clouds, with a high near 87. The chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Thursday night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 11 p.m., then a chance of showers between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Some of the storms could be severe. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 68. The chance of precipitation is 60%.

"Even though we'll have thunderstorms today, I think tomorrow's storms could be worse," FOX 5 NY's Audrey Puente said.

Local perspective:

The main threats from the storms will be damaging winds, scattered thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, which could cause minor flooding in certain areas. 

"Wind gusts in excess of 58 mph with thunderstorms on Thursday could damage trees and power lines and result in scattered power outages," the NWS said.

An isolated tornado or waterspout is also possible.

Severe thunderstorm watch

No alerts have been posted, but the NWS noted that a "severe thunderstorm watch may be needed during the day on Thursday."

Weather next week: Heat wave NYC

What's next:

The prime time for a potential heat wave next week will be from Sunday through Thursday. While relatively few locations may actually hit the 100-degree mark, the combination of high temperatures and elevated humidity levels will make it feel significantly hotter.

New York City has only reached the 100-degree threshold three times during the month of June.

The NWS is expected to issue a range of heat-related alerts in the coming days, which may include heat advisories, extreme heat watches and extreme heat warnings, depending on the expected severity and duration of local conditions.

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