Tornado warning issued for parts of New York City: 'Take cover now'

A tornado warning was issued for parts of New York City on Thursday afternoon, with officials telling residents to ‘take cover now’ before the storm weakened.The National Weather Service (NWS) alert covered parts of Queens, including JFK Airport and the Rockaways, before expiring at 2pm ET.Tornado warnings are unusual in New York City, particularly this late in the year, when the warm, moist conditions that typically help fuel tornado-producing storms are less common. The NWS said the storm had weakened below severe limits and ‘no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.’The warning ended, but heavy rain continued to threaten flooding across parts of the region, with unsettled weather expected to linger into Friday.Heavy rain prompted flood advisories for parts of Brooklyn, Queens and southwestern Nassau County, with minor flooding occurring or expected in low-lying areas and places with poor drainage.The Brooklyn and Queens advisory was scheduled to remain in effect until 2.30pm, covering locations including Rockaway Beach, JFK Airport, Canarsie, Howard Beach and Ozone Park.In southwestern Nassau County, the flood advisory was scheduled to remain in effect until 4.30pm. A tornado warning has been issued for parts of New York City on Thursday, with officials telling locals to 'take cover now' (stock)An additional half an inch to 0.8 inches of rain was forecast across the Brooklyn and Queens advisory area.Between one and two inches of rain had already fallen in southwestern Nassau County by 1.29pm, with minor flooding occurring. Another one to two inches was expected.Communities identified in the advisory included Long Beach, Freeport, Oceanside, Valley Stream, Baldwin, Lynbrook, Merrick and Rockville Centre.The NWS urged drivers to avoid flooded roads, saying: ‘Turn around, don’t drown. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.’At 1.39pm, the thunderstorm was over Rockaway Beach, moving northeast at 10mph. Forecasters expected it to approach JFK Airport around 1.45pm.The warning was triggered by radar-indicated rotation within the storm. The alert did not report a confirmed tornado touchdown.It also identified the threat of quarter-sized hail and warned that flying debris could endanger anyone caught without shelter.Forecasters warned of potential damage to roofs, windows, vehicles and trees. Heavy rainfall could obscure a tornado, making it dangerous to wait to see or hear one before seeking shelter.‘Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows,’ the NWS said in its warning.‘If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.’The alert warned motorists against taking shelter beneath highway overpasses.Elsewhere, parts of central and southern New Jersey were placed under a tornado watch until 7pm, extending the region’s severe-weather concerns beyond the Queens warning.The storm system was forecast to pass just south of Long Island Thursday night before lingering offshore through Friday.Localized downpours could bring rainfall rates approaching an inch an hour around New York City, potentially causing flooding in areas with poor drainage.Some locations could receive storm totals approaching three inches.Winds were forecast to strengthen overnight, with gusts of 25 to 30mph across New York City, Long Island and coastal Connecticut into Friday.Minor coastal flooding was also possible around daytime high tides Thursday and Friday, particularly along western Long Island’s south shore bays and southwestern Connecticut.Colder air could allow rain to mix with wet snow across higher elevations well north and west of the city.Rain was expected to taper off Friday night, with drier conditions returning for the weekend as the system moved farther offshore.