New York City is starting Wednesday under high pressure, but the day will turn into a very different weather story by evening. Temperatures are expected to reach about 87 degrees before gusty winds, scattered showers and dangerous ocean conditions move in.
Early Wednesday temperatures were near 69 degrees around the city, with light winds. The afternoon should be mostly sunny, with readings reaching about 87 degrees and southwest winds increasing to 15 mph, with stronger gusts possible, according to the National Weather Service.
Gusty Winds And Showers Arrive Overnight
Southwest winds will strengthen to 15 to 22 mph Wednesday night. Showers are expected to approach Wednesday night and pass through in the early morning hours of Thursday, with the strongest gusts likely near the coast.
Thursday will remain warm, with a high near 87 and lower daytime precipitation chances. Winds will diminish and turn west or northwest during the day, then shift northwest Thursday night as another round of scattered showers remains possible.
Ocean Beaches Face High Rip Current Risk
The most serious concern is along ocean beaches in Brooklyn, southern Queens and Nassau County. The National Weather Service has issued a high rip current risk from Wednesday evening through Thursday evening, with surf expected to reach 4 to 7 feet and minor beach flooding possible around high tide.
Beachgoers should stay out of the surf when the risk is high and follow posted warnings from lifeguards and local officials. The conditions are a notable escalation from Tuesday's forecast, which focused mainly on warmth and a possible midweek storm threat.
Sunny And Cooler By Friday
The pattern settles down Friday and Saturday, with sunny or mostly sunny skies and highs near 78 and 79 degrees. Friday night will be noticeably cooler, dipping to about 64 degrees.
Another unsettled stretch could arrive late Saturday night into Sunday, when there is a slight chance of showers Saturday night and a 30% chance of rain showers Sunday. Sunday should reach about 80 degrees, followed by mostly sunny weather Monday with a high near 82 degrees.
