Holiday weekend festivities in New Jersey and New York were marred by severe thunderstorms that brought down trees and power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity. The storms on Friday night, fueled by a scorching heat wave, packed winds reaching 60 mph, causing widespread disruptions.
Morris and Monmouth Counties in New Jersey were particularly hard-hit. Police in Roxbury Township reported trees falling on homes and cars, with some residents trapped. By Saturday morning, over 230,000 customers in New Jersey were without power. In New York City, Con Edison reported that nearly 10,000 customers in southwest Queens lost electricity due to an underground cable malfunction exacerbated by high power demand.
The storms also impacted planned events. Governor's Island experienced damage to its grandstands from a flash storm, forcing the cancellation of premier access viewing for the Parade of Sail, an event featuring 40 tall ships and 20 naval warships assembled in the East River for America's 250th anniversary.
An extreme heat warning remained in effect for New York City through Saturday evening, with temperatures expected to reach near 99 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the intense heat was forecast to break Saturday night, with temperatures dropping to around 74 degrees. Despite the cooling trend, the National Weather Service warned of the possibility of more showers beginning around 7 p.m. and continuing until 11 p.m., potentially coinciding with the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular scheduled to start at 9:25 p.m.
Looking ahead, Sunday is expected to bring cooler temperatures with a high of 84 degrees, though scattered thunderstorms remain a possibility. Showers are also anticipated on Monday, with a forecast high of 75 degrees.