Queens, New York: Tornado Warning Hits Queens as Severe Storms Sweep the Mid-Atlantic

Severe thunderstorms swept across the New York City area and the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday afternoon, bringing a tornado warning for parts of Queens, a tornado watch for much of New Jersey, and a flash flood warning for Queens as heavy rain moved through the region.

Tornado warning over Rockaway Beach

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for portions of Queens after a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Rockaway Beach at 1:13 p.m. Eastern, moving northeast at 15 miles per hour, USA Today reported. The warning ran until 2 p.m. and covered southern Queens, including the area around John F. Kennedy International Airport, and southwestern Nassau County, according to The Journal News. New York City Emergency Management urged people in the warned areas to take shelter immediately.

No tornado had been spotted, USA Today reported. The weather service warning told people to move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and to avoid windows. Another tornado warning was also reported in southern New Jersey on Thursday afternoon.

Watch covers 11 New Jersey counties

The Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado watch at 12:50 p.m. Eastern for 11 New Jersey counties, in effect through 7 p.m., NorthJersey.com reported. The counties are Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, Somerset and Warren. The watch also covers parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware, and NBC10 Philadelphia said a tornado watch was in effect for the Philadelphia region until 7 p.m. as storms brought damaging wind, hail and an isolated tornado threat.

A watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop. It does not mean a tornado has been spotted or is occurring.

In its outlook issued at 16:30 UTC, the Storm Prediction Center placed a small part of eastern Pennsylvania and central New Jersey under a slight risk of severe thunderstorms for the afternoon. Forecasters said strong to severe thunderstorms could produce isolated severe hail, a tornado or two, and damaging winds in parts of the coastal Mid-Atlantic. The center said a surface low over northern Virginia was expected to deepen and track eastward across New Jersey.

Flooding rain, then a sharp cold turn

A flash flood warning was issued for Queens from 2:10 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Eastern, with a flood advisory also in effect during the afternoon, according to National Weather Service alerts carried by The Weather Channel. In Brooklyn, rescue crews at the Flatbush building collapse worked through pouring rain on Thursday, and heavy rain was expected to continue through the day and into Friday morning, USA Today reported.

Behind the storm system, temperatures are expected to fall from highs in the lower 60s on Thursday to lows in the upper 30s on Friday night, with gusts up to 30 miles per hour at times, the weather service said.

Residents in the warned and watched areas should keep following National Weather Service updates, stay off flooded roads, and move to an interior room on the lowest floor if a warning is issued for their area.