New York City and the surrounding area was walloped by a bout of severe weather Friday night.
The National Weather Service issued a rare tornado watch for our area just before 6 p.m., it was expected to last until 1 a.m. but was cancelled at about 9:15 p.m.
The alert covered Fairfield county in Connecticut, Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson and Union counties in New Jersey, and Rockland, County, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Nassau and Suffolk in New York as well as all five boroughs of New York City.
The watch is in effect until until 1 a.m. Saturday morning.
At 8:15 p.m. the NWS upped the watch to a warning, which is more severe, for Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, Passaic, Essex , Bergen and Hudson counties. That warning was in effect until 9 p.m.
Residents were advised to take shelter as a severe storm was moving from Pike County in Pennsylvania south east at about 55 miles per hour. The storm was expected to affect Paterson and Newark, N.J., as well as the neighborhoods of Greenpoint, Bay Ridge and Rockaway Beach in Brooklyn and Queens.
There were reports of intense lightning, strong winds and three-quarter inch hail in eastern New Jersey, as well as downed wires, and there were are flood advisories in effect throughout the region.
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Should a severe storm or tornado strikes your area, officials reccommend taking shelter on lower floors and staying away from windows.
Meanwhile, tomorrow will feature a smothering combination of heat and humidity. High temperatures are expected to peak in the upper 90's Saturday afternoon, and the oppressive humidity will make it feel like 100-105 degrees during the hottest part of the day.
Scattered storms will provide only temporary relief from the sizzling heat, so bring the umbrella along anyway for some shade.
Real relief in the form of a cold front will arrive during the day Sunday, bringing a chance for some showers and storms. By Monday, a drier push of air will make it much more comfortable with temperatures returning to the 80's, with lower humidity.
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