Severe Storm Warnings, Watches Issued Across NJ Monday

Severe thunderstorms and damaging winds are expected to lash parts of the Garden State on Monday, bringing frequent lightning, heavy downpours and potential flash flooding, forecasters at the National Weather Service warn.

According to the National Weather Service, the scattered, quick-moving storm will sweep across the region, mainly after 5 p.m. on Monday, slicking the roads and interrupting the evening commute.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning Monday through 4:45 p.m. for parts of Hunterdon, Morris and Warren counties in New Jersey.

The rest of the state is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch through 9 p.m.

At 4:02 p.m., a severe thunderstorm was near Belfast, Pennsylvania, about 9 miles north of Easton, and moving east at 50 mph, forecasters said.

The storm could produce wind gusts of up to 60 mph and penny-size hail, with possible damage to roofs, siding, trees and power lines.

The warning includes Hackettstown, Washington, Clinton, Belvidere, High Bridge, Glen Gardner, Lebanon and other communities, as well as Interstate 78 in New Jersey between mile markers 5 and 25.

Across the state, forecasters say the storm has a "slight" chance of severity, which is the second of five levels in its warning system.

Along with potential flash flooding, hail, and an isolated tornado, severe thunderstorms may bring strong winds, which forecasters said are the primary threat.

According to AccuWeather, the winds could reach between 65 and 75 mph.

"While we don't think that the thunderstorm complexes will quite reach the intensity and distance of derechos, there can be significant damage in some communities where the storms intensify," AccuWeather Expert Meteorologist Adam Douty said. "Straight-line wind gusts produced during the most intense storms can knock over trees and cause regional power outages."

New Jersey's rainfall will be on the outskirts of a severe storm developing in the Midwest and stretching all the way from Chicago to the East Coast, according to AccuWeather.

The storm will peter out in New Jersey by early Tuesday morning, before Mother Nature reloads another round of rain for later in the week, according to the National Weather Service.

Otherwise, expect hot and humid weather Monday into Tuesday, with highs in the mid-90s and lows in the low 70s as "feels like" temperatures reach the upper 90s in the southern portion of the state, and a Heat Advisory, in effect until 7 p.m., in the northern region.

This is a developing story and may be updated.