What to Know
-
Widespread storms are expected Tuesday, particularly during the evening rush; some of those storms could be severe[hhmc]
-
Storm Team 4 says torrential rain poses a risk of flash flooding for a wide swath of the tri-state area[hhmc]
-
The weather improves after that, with highs expected in the mid-80s and sunny skies through the remainder of the workweek[hhmc]
Powerful storms battered the tri-state area over a series of hours Tuesday, first tearing down trees and power lines on the Jersey Shore and in parts of the Hudson Valley, then suddenly emerging in midtown Manhattan, as hazy blue skies turned to a dramatic blanket of rain with frequent lightning and thunder and at least one funnel cloud over the New York Harbor.
Hail was reported in the West Village as menacing storm clouds moved over the George Washington Bridge. Lightning has been fierce and frequent, starting a fire in a substation that knocked out power in Ulster County's Kingston.
Rain poured down inside subway stations and inundated highways in the five boroughs. FDR Drive was particularly affected, with drivers being stranded or directed off the arterial route as it became more and more clogged with water.
At least one funnel cloud was spotted in the harbor as the storm rolled in, according to the National Weather Service.
Storm Team 4 says the threat of damaging winds has wound down, but the threat for flash floods remains. And indeed, roadways in and around the five boroughs were inundated with water as the storm cranked up over the city.
Air travel was also impacted by the weather; flight tracking site FlightAware reported that more than 150 flights were delayed or canceled because of the wet weather.
On the region's commuter rails, only NJ Transit appeared to have been affected by the weather as of the start of the evening rush; Morris & Essex line trains were experiencing delays of up to 20 minutes due to weather-related signal problems.
Hour-by-Hour Expectations for Severe Weather Threat Tuesday
Forecasters warned the evening rush may be particularly perilous. Flash flood watches went into effect at noon and last through the evening for much of the tri-state. Click here for all weather alerts.
Newark, JFK and LaGuardia were all at a ground stop by 3 p.m., with JFK and Newark reporting average arrival delays of more than five hours.
Ample moisture and daytime heating only added more fuel to the storm threat, Storm Team 4 says. Highs rose into the upper 80s, but it still felt like it was in the 90s as the smothering humidity refused to dissippate.
The rough weather will begin to taper off before midnight and the situation improves after that, with highs expected in the mid-80s and sunny skies through the remainder of the workweek, according to Storm Team 4.
Extreme Weather: California Fire Spins Up Waterspout
[contf] [contfnew] 
NBC
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
