Residents across the Northeast are preparing for a wave of heat that could trigger scattered thunderstorms throughout the area and the Mid-Atlantic on Friday.
As the week concludes, many along the East Coast will encounter the hottest temperatures they’ve seen this year.
This surge in heat comes as a warm, humid air mass blankets the Carolinas, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast, pushing temperatures to soar 10 to 15 degrees above their usual averages.
The rising temperatures will coincide with the potential for severe weather, as a slight dip in the jet stream moves into the Northeast, heightening atmospheric instability.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, “During the hottest part of the day, with dew points reaching the upper 60s, isolated storms could develop, bringing damaging wind gusts across New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and extending southward into the Delmarva area.”
A Level 1 out of 5 severe storm threat has been issued, covering areas from Richmond, Virginia, through Pittsburgh, and stretching into Upstate New York.
By Thursday and into Friday, forecasters are eying a Level 2 out of 5 severe storm threat across the Mid-Atlantic region and into the Hudson Valley.
Daytime heating, along with moisture, will allow for severe storms to develop, with the main threat being damaging wind gusts and the possibility of a brief tornado, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
“As southerly winds continue to pump record heat and high humidity into the region Friday afternoon, an approaching cold front will act as the focus for storm development,” the FOX Forecast Center said.
This threat includes popular locations such as Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
More than 50 million Americans will be under a Level 2 out of 5 severe storm risk.
With the lingering threat on big cities, prediction markets at Kalshi are expecting a 94% chance of over an inch of rain in New York City by the end of the month.
This comes as many New Yorkers have experienced a plethora of wet weather weekends so far this spring, with the official start of summer approaching.
The same prediction markets also expect a 50% chance of over 3 inches of rain in the Big Apple by the end of June.
Overall, as these storms move east, the primary threat will be rain, damaging winds, large hail and possibly a few tornadoes.
Stay tuned to FOX Weather as we continue to track the development of these potential storms.
