Tornadoes Possible, 70 MPH Gusts 'Likely': Severe Thunderstorms In NJ

NEW JERSEY — It's about to get stormy throughout much of New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service. The agency issued a severe-thunderstorm watch for much of the state, warning that scattered, 70-mph gusts are likely, while "a couple" tornadoes and isolated hail the size of ping-pong balls are possible.

The storm watch runs until 10 p.m. Monday in all of New Jersey except three of the southernmost areas: Cape May, Cumberland and Salem Counties. Damaging winds remain the primary threat, but isolated hail and tornadoes remain possibilities, according to the National Weather Service.

Check AccuWeather's New Jersey radar.

While the severe-thunderstorm watch ends at 10 p.m. Monday, some showers and thunderstorms could continue very early Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. But expect several hot, mostly sunny days ahead, with highs in the high 80s and low 90s Tuesday and temperatures into the mid-90s on Wednesday and Thursday, the agency says.

Here's the National Weather Service's latest North Jersey forecast:

• Monday afternoon: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. South wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
• Monday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 11 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. West wind around 9 mph.

Here's the agency's latest South Jersey forecast:

• Monday afternoon: Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Breezy, with a south wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Monday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. West wind 5 to 15 mph.