UPDATE: Severe thunderstorms from Beryl in forecast Wednesday as fierce heat scorches state
The remnants of deadly Hurricane Beryl continued to track north Tuesday and are expected to remain west of New Jersey, but the system could combine with a cold front over the state on Wednesday to churn strong thunderstorms with the potential for flash flooding and high winds, forecasters say.
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The strongest threat of thunderstorms will be in New Jersey’s northwestern counties with 2 to 2.5 inches of rainfall possible, according to the National Weather Service.
“There is up to a 70% chance for storms Wednesday into Thursday as the remnant low of Beryl tracks northwest of our region,” the weather service’s New Jersey office said Tuesday morning. “Storms during this period will be capable of heavy rain leading to flash flooding. The highest risk is along and north of the Interstate 78 corridor.”
AccuWeather’s forecast warned of the widespread reach of the remnants of Beryl, now a tropical depression, beyond the eye path that appears headed toward the Great Lakes region.
“A large area of high pressure just off the East Coast will act as a giant pump, first creating a heat wave into midweek and then helping draw in moisture along the Atlantic Seaboard to the Appalachians from midweek to Friday and perhaps Saturday,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. “There is a tremendous amount of moisture in the air, and that will likely be squeezed out in the form of torrential downpours that can ease drought on one hand and lead to flash flooding on the other.”
The buildup to the storm threat on Wednesday afternoon includes more dangerously hot and humid conditions Tuesday across New Jersey with highs in the 90s and heat indexes topping 100 degrees.
A heat advisory is in effect for all New Jersey counties except Cape May through 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Temperatures will remain uncomfortable at night as well.
“Tuesday night will be yet another muggy repeat in this broken record of uncomfortable nights,” the weather service said. “Lows will only cool into the mid to upper 70s.”
The heat wave continues Wednesday ahead of the afternoon storms.
“Hot and very humid conditions will result in peak heat indices reaching or exceeding 100 degrees for much of our area Wednesday,” the weather service said.
More nasty weather is in the forecast for the weekend with the potential for more widespread thunderstorms on Friday night into Saturday and a flash flooding risk.
“Another period of storms is possible Friday continuing into Saturday,” the weather service said. “The chance for storms in this period is up to 70%. The primary hazard with this period is also heavy rain leading to flash flooding.”
Southern New Jersey counties are expected to get the worst of those storms, the weather service said.
Saturday will be slightly cooler, but temperatures in the 90s return Sunday with heat indexes again above 100 degrees.
Beryl damage update
Power started to come back for some of the millions of homes and businesses left in the dark when Hurricane Beryl slammed into the Houston area, while the weakened storm moved east, spawning suspected tornadoes and causing more damage.
Beryl was blamed for killing several people in Texas on Monday and at least one person in Louisiana, officials said.
After a peak Monday of more than 2.7 million customers around Houston without power, the numbers improved to more than 2.3 million homes and businesses lacking electricity by Tuesday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. The lack of cooling to people’s homes, downed power lines and non-functioning traffic lights led officials to ask residents to stay home if possible.
Beryl later Monday weakened into a tropical depression and by Tuesday morning the weather service said it was about 95 miles north of Shreveport, Louisiana, moving northeast with maximum sustained wind speeds near 30 mph. Its strength wasn’t expected to change much in the next day or two.
While weakened, Beryl threatened to unleash more harsh weather over several other states in coming days. The storm was expected to bring heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding from the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes on Tuesday into Wednesday, the weather service said.
Texas state and local officials warned it could take several days to fully restore power after Beryl came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane, toppled 10 transmission lines and knocked down trees that took down power lines.
The earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, Beryl caused at least 11 deaths as it passed through the Caribbean on its way to Texas. In Jamaica, officials said Monday that island residents will have to contend with food shortages after Beryl destroyed over $6.4 million in crops and supporting infrastructure.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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