The tri-state dealt with yet another hot day and another round of scattered storms Wednesday, a day after a line of severe weather triggered flash flood warnings across much of the region as New York City hit its first official heatwave of 2021.
Wednesday's high for Central Park hit 90 degrees once again, meaning NYC's first heat wave of 2021 extended into a fourth day. Heat index values around the tri-state were above 90 in most spots, and even above 100 for some.
A chance for showers and strong thunderstorms also returned by the afternoon and evening hours, with scattered storms making their way through the region until sunset.
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The storms were responsible for the first lightning strike death of the year in the U.S., according to the National Lightning Safety Council. A man was golfing in New Jersey at the Burlington Country Club in Westampton Township Wednesday afternoon when he was struck by lightning. He later died from his injuries, according to officials.
It was the first fatal lightning strike in New Jersey since 2012, and the 14th since 2006, according to John Jenenius of the National Lightning Safety Council.
Officials also confirmed that a person was struck by lightning in Angola, Delaware, on Wednesday, but that person's condition was not immediately made clear. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for Sullivan and Orange counties in New York throughout the evening, as well as a few counties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
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Although deadly, the storms were overall less widespread and possibly a bit weaker than the system that brought major flooding to parts of New Jersey a day earlier. The city of Oradell saw some of the worst floodings in 15 years and multiple trees were downed by storms. A house in Irvington, New Jersey, caught fire after neighbors said it was hit by lightning. Damage stretched from Westchester County to the Jersey Shore.
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The tri-state area gets some much-needed relief from the blistering heat after Wednesday's round of storms pushes through, as conditions turn cooler later in the week.
A cold front will pass through the region overnight into Thursday, bringing an end to the high humidity and dropping temperatures to around 80 degrees during the day. It may be a bit muggy in the morning hours, but looks to be more comfortable by Thursday afternoon.
Temperatures plunge even further to around 74 degrees Friday. Expect temperatures to linger in the high 70s through the weekend before the next chance of thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon and evening. Then the tri-state area is expected to warm up into the 80s to kick off the workweek on Monday.
Track any approaching storms using our interactive radar below.
