Hail, Damaging Winds Possible In NJ; Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Issued

NEW JERSEY —Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, hail, and heavy rain could impact parts of New Jersey on Tuesday afternoon and into the evening, said forecasters.

The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings for southwestern Hunterdon County and southeastern Warren County until 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Forecasters have also issued severe thunderstorm watches in 10 New Jersey counties until Tuesday at 9 p.m. Frequent lightning, scattered gusts of wind up to 70 miles per hour, and isolated hail up to the size of a ping-pong ball are all possible, as well as heavy rain, said forecasters.

Strong storms are expected to impact the state Tuesday afternoon and into the evening, according to the National Weather Service and AccuWeather.com. Forecasters said that the main concern is damaging winds and large hail, but localized flash flooding could also be possible.

Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem counties are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m., said the National Weather Service.

"Precipitable water values in those areas should remain around or slightly above 2 inches, so locally heavy rain is possible," added the National Weather Service.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the northern half of New Jersey is at a “marginal” risk for severe thunderstorms Tuesday.

Communities including and south of Trenton are at a “slight” chance, which is one level higher than marginal. This means there is a larger chance for severe storms, and even a risk for isolated tornadoes, said AccuWeather forecasters.

AccuWeather added that travelers who are looking to get to the Jersey Shore or any nearby beaches “are advised to closely monitor the progression of the storms on Tuesday, given that the intense downpours could induce slowdowns and periods of decreased visibility.”

Forecasters said Wednesday should be a calmer day across a large portion of the Eastern United States, as the cold front clears the Northeast coast later Tuesday night.

Here is a look at the forecast today around the Garden State, from the National Weather Service:

North Jersey

Tuesday: Cloudy. Showers likely with isolated thunderstorms early, then a slight chance of showers with isolated thunderstorms this morning. Humid with highs in the upper 70s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Tuesday night: Cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly in the evening. Lows in the upper 60s. Northeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Central Jersey

Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm, then a slight chance of showers between 9pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

South Jersey

Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. West wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a slight chance of showers between midnight and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.