2 hours ago
3
New Yorkers can’t catch a break.
Treacherous downpours and severe flash flooding are expected to snarl morning and evening commutes across the Big Apple on Monday — after a weekend of miserable, scorching temperatures and intense thunderstorms.
Multiple rounds of thunderstorms and torrential downpours are predicted to drench the five boroughs in up to two inches of rain per hour starting Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service.
The worst of the heavy rain and flash flooding is expected to slam Monday’s morning commute between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., though scattered thunderstorms could still cause localized flash flooding into Monday evening.
A flood watch will be in effect until Tuesday morning, with forecasters warning that intense rainfall could cause severe flooding in low-lying neighborhoods and lead to substantial transportation disruptions.
A whopping six inches of rain may inundate areas where the storms repeatedly track over the same locations, officials said.
Intense thunderstorms may also bring powerful wind gusts that can blow down tree limbs and unsecured objects outside.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani activated the City’s Flash Flood Emergency Plan to mobilize city agencies ahead of the severe weather.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Sanitation, and the Department of Transportation have been inspecting and clearing catch basins in flood-prone areas in preparation for the storm.
Specialized emergency teams and equipment are also positioned throughout the Big Apple to be deployed if conditions deteriorate quickly.
Mamdani urged New Yorkers to “take these warnings seriously” and limit travel during peak rainfall.
“Now it’s time for all of us to do our part. Limit travel if you can, plan for delays, and take these warnings seriously. If heavy rain begins, if the winds pick up, or if you hear thunder — get inside and wait out the dangerous conditions,” he said in a statement.
“Check on your neighbors, especially anyone living in a basement apartment, to make sure they have a plan and the information they need to stay safe.”
The severe weather follows a triple-digit heat wave and ferocious heat-fed thunderstorms that slammed the metro area during the Fourth of July weekend festivities.
Temperatures in New York City’s Central Park hit 100 degrees on Thursday, marking the first time the iconic park has hit triple digits since July 18, 2012.
English (US)