NEW YORK, United States: US Northeast storms brought flash flooding to New York City and northern New Jersey on Saturday, prompting emergency warnings as forecasters tracked damaging winds and an isolated tornado risk.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Centre placed parts of southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and southern New York under an Enhanced Risk, level three on its five-level severe-weather scale.
Forecasters identified northeastern New Jersey and the New York City metropolitan area as the highest-risk zone. They warned that wind gusts could reach 70 mph and cause power outages, while potentially strong tornadoes remained possible.
Storms developed in repeated rounds from late Saturday morning and were expected to continue through midnight Eastern Daylight Time, equivalent to 9 a.m. Sunday in Pakistan.
SEVERE WEATHER HQ 🌪️: Severe Thunderstorm Watches and Tornado Watches are now in effect as a rare severe weather threat unfolds across parts of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast. Damaging winds remain the primary concern, but large hail and a few tornadoes are also… pic.twitter.com/QyBUI6E2sx
— FOX Weather (@foxweather) July 18, 2026Heavy rainfall triggered flash flood warnings for northern New Jersey, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. A broader flood watch remained in effect into early Sunday, with low-lying, urban and coastal areas facing the greatest danger.
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Parts of the region received several inches of rain, flooding roads and disrupting subway and airport operations. Ground stops and delays affected LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports.
New York City officials urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and warned motorists not to enter flooded roads. No confirmed tornado touchdown was identified in the supplied or verified reports.
