New York braces for thunderstorms, possible tornadoes after heat wave

Jessica Schladebeck and Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News on Jul 18, 2026

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NEW YORK — After days of smoky skies and heavy heat, New Yorkers on Saturday were once again bracing for severe weather, which is expected to include intense thunderstorms, isolated tornadoes, and hail.

“Thunderstorms are expected to bring damaging winds strong enough to down trees and power lines, along with heavy rainfall that could cause flash flooding,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on X late Friday.

He further warned that the storms could develop with “little warning” and urged residents to immediately head indoors should one suddenly strike. He also encouraged residents to avoid travel.

“I remind everyone to take this weather seriously: Take precautions, know what to do if a storm reaches your area,” Gov. Kathy Hochul added, “and don’t forget to check on friends and family members who might need assistance.”

While the rainfall is expected to begin late Saturday morning — continuing on and off throughout the day — the storms are expected to be at their most severe between 4 and 8 p.m., the National Weather Service said.

The rains will likely come with wind gusts between 50 and 70 mph, which could cause some serious damage across the five boroughs.

The National Weather Service has also placed the city under a flood watch running from 10 a.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Sunday, with rainfall totals expected to be around 1 to 1.5 inches, and in some regions 2 to 4 inches are possible.

The city has been under an Air Quality Alert since Wednesday due to the Canadian wildfires. The haze is expected to hang around for parts of Saturday, but the good news is that rain should help clear out the smoke over much of the tri-state area.

“Yes, the rain should likely finally rinse the smoke out of the sky,” NYC Emergency Management said on X. “No, it could not do so gently.”