Accuweather
When it rains it floods
Weekend travelers across the Garden State this evening may encounter rough driving conditions as heavy rains move into the region.
Several hazardous weather alerts have been issued across the Garden State by the National Weather Service starting tonight for heavy rain, floods and winds. The weather could impact roads and overall public safety.
Some flash flood flood watches went into effect as early as 2 p.m., but most go into effect tonight starting around 6 p.m. and last until 6 a.m. on Sunday. The radar shows a mass of bad weather bearing down on New Jersey.
After tonight, most counties will see little chance of any serious issues, according to alerts from NWS, but officials did note an increased chance of rip currents along the Jersey Shore.
Most of the rest of the state can expect to see a chance of thunderstorms for the next week.
Hazardous weather
Heavy rain is expected from this afternoon into tonight for central New Jersey, which could lead to some flooding of roadways and areas of poor drainage, the National Weather Service said. Affected counties include:
- Sussex
- Warren
- Morris
- Hunterdon
- Somerset
- Middlesex
- Western Monmouth
Flash floods
Flash flood watches have been issued from this afternoon through late tonight for the following counties:
- Inland Sussex
- Mercer
- Gloucester
- Camden
- Northwestern Burlington
- Ocean
- Atlantic
- Cape May
- Southeastern Burlington
Portions of southern New Jersey and Delaware are under a flash flood watch and coastal flood advisory. Those counties include:
- Salem
- Cumberland
- New Castle
- Kent
Windy times
Wind advisories have been issues for Middlesex and Monmouth counties, effective from 10 p.m. Saturday through 4 a.m. Sunday.
Residents in those areas can expect to get steady winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph.
Rain isn't stopping this show
For those headed out to East Rutherford to check out Taylor Swift at MetLife Stadium for the first time or back for the second night, there's a 65-80 percent chance that you'll get rain either before or after Swift's show.
Rip Currents
Eastern Monmouth County and the rest of southern and central New Jersey will see a high rip current risk along the shore. The NWS also said there is an enhanced risk for the development of dangerous rip currents on Sunday and into next week for these areas.
Gale warnings
Gale warnings, which indicate winds between 39 to 54 mph, will mainly affect areas of New York. That warning is in effect from 6 p.m. tonight until 6 a.m. Sunday.
Areas affected include:
- Long Island
- Sound West of New Haven, Conn./Port Jefferson, N.Y.
- New York Harbor
- South Shore Bays from Jones Inlet through Shinnecock Bay
More weather coverage
Tornado, water spout and flash flood potential added to washout weekend woes
Weather 'traffic jam' could soak N.J. in rainy stretch starting this weekend
Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.
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