UPDATE: Hurricane Dorian: Latest updates on deadly storm’s forecast track along East Coast
As Hurricane Dorian continues to slam the Bahamas and makes its way toward Florida, forecasters are getting a better understanding of how the hurricane may affect New Jersey.
And it appears it may be minimal and not until later in the week.
According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Dorian, currently a category 4 storm, is forecasted to move towards New Jersey on Friday, with winds beginning to increase Thursday. The highest wind speeds are expected Friday close to the coast and may exceed 40 mph.
The National Weather Service said South Jersey and towns along the coast could see heavy rainfall later in the week, depending on how close Dorian ends up to the coast.
By Saturday night and until Monday, the storm is anticipated to “exit quickly” to the northeast and the weather “should also start to see things clear up quickly across the region,” according to the National Weather Service.
As the storm moves north, experts expect a cold front over the weekend.
While forecasts from Hurricane Dorian in New Jersey don’t appear daunting as of Monday night, the National Weather Service says meteorologists will have a better idea of what is to come as the storm approaches the New Jersey region.
“Overall, the next day or two will really give us more insight into just what we can expect with Dorian across our region so it is something that definitely bears watching,” the National Weather Service said.
While New Jersey may be spared the worst of the storm, Hurricane Dorian has devastated the Bahamas.
On Sunday, Dorian’s maximum sustained winds reached 185 mph, with gusts up to 220 mph, tying the record for the most powerful Atlantic hurricane to ever make landfall. The only recorded storm that was more powerful was Hurricane Allen in 1980, with 190 mph winds, though it did not make landfall at that strength.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, the hurricane was at a near-standstill north of Grand Bahama Island, where winds are up to 145 mph.
At least five people are dead as a result of the storm, which has led to massive floods and deadly winds.
“We are in the midst of a historic tragedy,” Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said, calling the devastation “unprecedented and extensive.”
Forecasters said Dorian was most likely to begin pulling away from the Bahamas early Tuesday and curving to the northeast parallel to the U.S. Southeast seaboard.
https://www.nj.com/weather/2019/09/hurricane-dorian-update-heres-how-the-storm-could-affect-nj-later-this-week.html