Long Line Of Strong Storms Bearing Down On New Jersey

With another day of intense heat and humidity, the Garden State is primed for severe weather as we head into the evening on Thursday. Earlier this morning, two waves of thunderstorms passed through without much in the way of rain, but it created a very hot and humid atmosphere, which is providing the spark for an intense line of thunderstorms moving through Central and Eastern Pennsylvania.

Temperatures were in the upper 60s to low 70s this morning, but after the two waves of storms came through, the sun emerged to heat up an already unstable atmosphere. The temperature went up to 74 by 9:00 AM, 83 by 12:00 PM, and then a high of 91.1 during the mid-afternoon. The dew point soared up to 77 degrees and combined with the temperature, made it feel like it was 104 degrees outside.

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma has placed Northwestern Middlesex County as well as the rest of the Garden State under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. Already some of those areas are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. Further to the Northwest in Northeastern Pennsylvania, near Scranton, there is a Tornado Watch. What we have here is the makings of another derecho, but this one is further north than the one that pummeled South Jersey about a month or so ago. These storms are capable of producing dangerous lightning, hail 2 inches in diameter along with 80 mile per hour winds.

The watch area stretches some 65 miles to the north and south of a line from 25 miles North-Northeast of Groton Connecticut to 65 miles Northwest of Wilmington, Delaware. Skies are already darkening here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Take cover, and