Powerful Storms with 50 MPH Winds Expected to Hit New Jersey

Powerful Storms with 50 MPH Winds Expected to Hit New Jersey

A significant storm is projected to traverse eastward across the nation, impacting New Jersey on Wednesday. This system is expected to deliver winds reaching 50 mph, substantial rainfall, isolated severe thunderstorms, and the potential for a tornado, as indicated by the most recent forecast.

Forecasters from the National Weather Service reported on Tuesday that moderate to heavy rainfall will commence on Wednesday afternoon and continue into the early evening. While there may be a few instances of thunder, no severe conditions are anticipated at this time.

The series of thunderstorms advancing across the East Coast is anticipated to progress rapidly; while these thunderstorms are not expected to persist throughout the day, any that do develop may have significant effects, stated AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus.

There will be a temporary pause in activity before storms resume. The Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service has classified the majority of the state as experiencing a "marginal risk" (level 1/5) of severe storms, with the exception of the far northern region, which is not expected to encounter severe weather, and a small area in the southern part adjacent to Delaware, which is categorized as having a "slight risk" (level 2/5).

The primary concern associated with these storms is the potential for damaging winds, which may reach speeds of up to 50 mph along the coastline.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Elizabeth Danco stated, "The winds linked to the storm may reach intensities sufficient to create significant travel disruptions." She added, "These winds have the potential to uproot trees and down power lines throughout the eastern two-thirds of the country until Wednesday night."

Forecasters from the National Weather Service noted, "There exists a conditional risk of tornadoes due to the high levels of speed shear; however, this threat is notably less significant than the other risks involved."

The state is expected to receive as much as 1 inch of rainfall.

Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) meteorologists are closely monitoring the developing weather conditions.

In the event outages occur due to severe weather, customers without power are encouraged to report their outage by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), clicking the “Report Outage” link on www.firstenergycorp.com, or by texting out to 544487.

Customers should immediately report downed wires to 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or call their local police department.

JCP&L reminds customers to stay away from downed wires, even if they believe they are no longer carrying electricity.

Extra caution should be used in areas where downed lines are tangled with trees or other debris. Motorists are cautioned to treat intersections with inoperable traffic signals as four-way stops.

JCP&L customers can subscribe to email and text message alert notifications to receive weather updates in advance of major storms and updates on scheduled or extended power outages. Visit www.firstenergycorp.com/connect to enroll.