UPDATE: Tornado watch extended in 11 N.J. counties, parts of Pa. and N.Y.
A tornado watch has been issued for 17 New Jersey counties on Friday because of the threat of intense thunderstorms from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby that could spawn isolated twisters.
The tornado watch — which is not as urgent as a tornado warning — is effective through 2 p.m. Friday and includes Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties.
- ALSO: Here’s why N.J. faces a tornado threat during the storms from Debby’s remnants
A wind advisory has also been issued for nearly the entire state, with occasional gusts up to 50 mph expected. The strongest gusts are expected along the Jersey Shore.
In addition to the possibility of tornadoes, New Jersey faces a slight risk of severe thunderstorms and flash flooding along with a strong likelihood of dangerous rip currents on Friday.
Forecasters from the National Weather Service say some of the thunderstorms that develop Friday afternoon and Friday night could knock down trees and power lines. They also say some of the storm cells could pack large hail, frequent lightning and heavy downpours.
The weather service says the heavy rain could spark rapid flooding on roads and highways, and also could cause some rivers and streams to overflow because many areas of the state are already saturated from this week’s heavy rain and lighter rain that fell last week and last weekend.
Weather forecasters say the tornado threat on Friday is higher than it would be during an average summer thunderstorm, for a few reasons.
The main risk factor is New Jersey’s location — on the east side of Debby’s main batch of moisture and gusty winds, said Mike Lee, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s regional forecast office.
“When a tropical system stays west of us, since the winds are in a counter-clockwise flow, we get southerly winds,” Lee told NJ Advance Media. “That means there’s warm, moist air coming in (from the south), so we get some really good instability available to us.”
Lee said the combination of warm, moist air and winds associated with a tropical system can stir up the atmosphere and boost the chances of a funnel cloud forming when strong thunderstorms develop.
Even though most tornadoes that hit New Jersey are short-lived and on the lower side of the wind intensity scale, Lee noted there are no guarantees that will be the case with Friday’s storm system. So people shouldn’t let their guard down.
“We want to make sure folks are prepared for the possibility of isolated tornadoes (Friday), all across the state,” Lee said.
Long streak of rain
Scattered rain showers have impacted different regions of New Jersey every day since July 31, with the heaviest downpours coming Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning, when some areas were pummeled with as much as 4 to 7 inches of rain in several hours.
Forecasters say the remnants of Debby could bring an additional 2 to 3 inches of rain to the state’s northwestern areas by Friday night. One to 2 inches of rain is likely to fall along the Interstate 95 corridor, while Jersey Shore areas could face up to another inch.
Those rainfall projections could end up higher in areas where the strongest showers and thunderstorms set up.
New Jersey also faces winds gusting up to 40 to 50 mph at times on Friday from the remnants of Debby. At the beaches, there’s a high risk of dangerous rip currents and a possibility of minor coastal flooding.
Current weather radar
Stories by Len Melisurgo
- Flash flood warnings issued in N.J. as strong thunderstorms drench streets with heavy rain
- Tornado watch extended in 11 N.J. counties, parts of Pa. and N.Y.
- N.J. weather: Flood watch issued in 11 counties as heavy rain from Debby targets state
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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality.
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