Heavy Rain Could Dampen Your July 4 In Middlesex County

The Fourth of July is not expected to be a complete washout anywhere in the East, but showers and thunderstorms can still lead to interruptions in parades, cookouts and firework displays across New Jersey, according to forecasters.

The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook, saying heavy rain is expected at times in New Jersey.

The forecast is:

Friday night: Scattered showers, mainly after 5 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Independence Day: Showers likely before 2 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 72. Northeast wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a 10th and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m., then isolated showers between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Rivers in New Jersey are likely to swell from the rapid rainfall rate, leading to flooding in unprotected low-lying areas located near the banks of rivers, according to AccuWeather.

Any additional rainfall from showers and thunderstorms could spark more flooding issues due to the heavily saturated ground.