What to Know
- Showers and storms hit the region Thursday bringing torrential rain and flash flooding over much of the area, flooding streets
- The skies opened up around 3 p.m. in the city, and within an hour reports of flooded streets were coming in from around New Jersey
- Despite a few leftover showers or storms before dawn Friday, conditions will quickly begin to improve to close out the work week
Showers and storms hit the region Thursday bringing torrential rain and flash flooding over much of the area — flooding streets and making some roads impassable.
The skies opened up around 3 p.m. in the city as a cold front moved in, and within an hour reports of flooding were coming in from around New Jersey. There were multiple reports of flooded streets and water shooting up from manholes, with traffic on highways around Newark backed up.
More than three inches of rain fell in Bergen County over the course of the storm, with other New Jersey counties not far behind. The heavy rain, which fell off and on in the region for about nine hours, left many cities and towns water-logged, but the flood waters were starting to recede by midnight in most areas.
The worst weather should move out overnight, with just a leftover rain shower or two popping up before dawn. Conditions will stay warm and muggy on Friday, Storm Team 4 says, with highs back into the upper 80s. The humidity should break a little as clouds break apart in the evening hours.
Track the rain with our interactive radar below.
Local
There won't be any break in the heat over the weekend, with temperatures at or above 90 for Saturday and Sunday. Expect dry conditions with plenty of sunshine for both days.
Thursday's flooding knocked out the Newark Light Rail service temporarily between Park Avenue and Bloomfield Avenue stations during the evening commute. There were a few reports of fires being sparked by lightning strikes in Hunterdon and Warren counties.
Multiple reports arose of roads flooding over in areas around lakes. Pompton Lakes in Passaic County and Franklin Lakes in Bergen County reported roads closed, and other streets in Essex County and New York's Rockland County became impassable.
Bergen and Essex counties had flash flood warnings until 11 p.m. Thursday, while nearly a dozen other counties — as well as the five boroughs — faced a flood watch, which was canceled by 11 p.m.
Monmouth and Ocean counties were issued severe thunderstorm warnings earlier Thursday night as well.
