Extreme heat makes way for NYC storms as tropical storm aims for Florida

It’s hot and heavy in New York City as hazy, sticky conditions simmer amid another heat wave.

It felt like 100 degrees in the Big Apple on Saturday as a heat advisory in effect since mid-week came to an end, making way for heavy thunderstorms to roll in.

Flood watches are in effect for the five boroughs until midnight and storms are expected to start late Saturday, bringing with them flash flood threats and damaging winds of up to 70 mph – just short of hurricane strength.

Even quarter-sized hail is a possibility, according to meteorologists.

A child splashed in the water from a fire hydrant in Washington Heights during one of the city’s recent heat waves on July 16, 2024. Getty Images

The region will get a slight break from the heat Sunday, but not from the storms, which are forecast for later in the day.

“I hate to say it’ll be a break from the heat, because it’ll only be by about 5 degrees, and then we’re right back to it on Monday,” said Fox Weather meteorologist Jordan Overton.

Monday is expected to be mostly dry but dangerously hot, AccuWeather predicts, with dehydration and heatstroke threats. Temps are expected to reach at least 91 degrees, with the “real feel” again soaring to 99 or 100 degrees.

People sought shade and relief from the heat Thursday near City Hall amid the intense heat and humidity that blanketed the Big Apple this week. Getty Images

The city’s heat emergency plan is in place through Monday, according to emergency management officials, and cooling centers will be open through then, Mayor Adams posted on X.

The entire city is also under air quality alerts, as well as rip current warnings in Brooklyn and southern Queens.

Later in the week, the northeast may see remnants of the tropical depression moving toward Florida, which is likely to make landfall Monday as a Category 1 hurricane.

Rainfall totals could exceed 12 to 18 inches along the Southeast U.S. coast next week, according to AccuWeather. AccuWeather
The storm, which is coming from Cuba through the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to track northeastward, then slow down along the Southeast coast early next week, according to meteorologists. AccuWeather

“We may see some of that moisture move along the coast depending on where the storm tracks,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Scott Homan told The Post.

The system is forecast to pick up steam over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico this weekend after lashing Puerto Rico and Cuba.

The slow-moving, soon-to-be Tropical Storm Debby is expected to bring heavy rainfall across Florida and into Georgia, coastal South Carolina and eventually North Carolina, Homan said.

The Florida peninsula is also at risk for tornados through Sunday night. AccuWeather

It will bring 2- to 4-foot storm surges, 74 to 95 mph wind gusts and 5 to 10 inches of rain to the Big Bend region of Florida, experts predict. The state was under a state of emergency as of Thursday.

Tornados are also a possibility, Homan warned.

Flash flood risks are likely on Monday spanning from Jacksonville, Florida, to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

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