Community Corner

UPDATED: Heavy Rains, Gusty Winds Forecast for Tonight

Long Island not expected to see the threat of tornadoes, unlike parts of New York City.

Update (3 p.m.):
The National Weather Service has placed all of Long Island into a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10 p.m. Monday evening.

A watch means severe thunderstorms are expected within the area in the next 24 hours, but are not imminent. A warning in considered to be more urgent.

Original Story (2 p.m.):

Suffolk County will be in for some heavy rains and gusty winds as a cold front rolls across the area later this afternoon throughout this evening.

National Weather Service meteorologists are calling for the line of strong storms to approach the area after 4 p.m., bringing up to an inch of rainfall through Tuesday morning. The storms are expected to clear out by midnight Monday.

While tornado watches are in effect in Brooklyn, Manhattan and other points east, meteorologists say the threat for Long Island is minimal.

"We have the threat of a lot of heavy showers and maybe some thunderstorms," David Stark, meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Upton, told Patch. He did not rule out the slight possibility of a twister, but said the threat was lower the further east from the current watches.

The storms could pack thunder and lightning, as well as winds gusting up to 38 mph.

The front should finish pushing through overnight, bringing sunny skies back to the area for Tuesday with highs in the upper 60's.

"It will feel more like fall," Stark said, noting the dry out will continue through the week.

The National Weather Service has not issued any watches or warnings for Suffolk County as of 1 p.m.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here