Just a quick note on yesterday’s powerful storm which caused wide spread damage including down trees and numerous power outages in its path (nearly 100,000 still without power). Many have asked if it was a tornado, micro burst etc. Actually it’s called a Derecho, Spanish for straight ahead or direct. It’s basically a long lived wind storm containing squall lines and thunderstorms. They last over 250 miles, contain 58mph winds through out its duration with gusts over 75mph, all of which yesterday’s storm had.
Check out above the Derecho’s track beginning in NW PA Wednesday morning, and traveling SE to the New Jersey Coast by 1:30pm, a pretty cool depiction! Also see below, the top wind gusts in NJ and PA. One change from the list, Beach Haven actually had a 93mph gust!
For tonight, expect more downpours and thunderstorms from west to east, between 10-11pm in NJ and lower Hudson Valley, and moving into NYC/LI between 12-2am. Another line of storms are forecasted on Friday, but mainly after sundown into the evening hours. Finally, a cold front drops in Saturday afternoon, breaking down the triple H’s (hazy hot and humid) with yet another line of strong storms. Good news though, as mentioned in my post yesterday, refreshing late-Spring type conditions arrive Sunday Monday and Tuesday with mostly sunny skies and temps in the upper 70s to low 80s.
I’ll be back shortly to expand on my Tropical Storm Cristobal comments from yesterday. Still tracking landfall along Texas to most likely the Louisiana coast late Sunday. Stay tuned! Btw, my featured image of the squall line over LBI is courtesy of friend Jeneen, great shot!