New Jersey is under a major severe weather alert today, Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as a powerful line of summer thunderstorms moves across the state, triggering active flash flood warnings, severe thunderstorm watches, and widespread disruption to regional air travel. The National Weather Service placed 14 New Jersey counties under a comprehensive Flood Watch, warning that multiple rounds of intense storms will impact the region throughout the day and into the overnight hours.
Hourly Forecast Timeline (Tuesday, July 21)
| Hour | Sky Condition | Temperature | Chance of Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 AM – 1 PM | 79°F – 82°F | 10% | |
| 2 PM – 3 PM | 83°F – 84°F | 25% | |
| 4 PM – 5 PM | 85°F – 83°F | 49% – 65% | |
| 6 PM – 7 PM | 79°F – 75°F | 56% – 35% | |
| 8 PM – Midnight | 72°F – 70°F | 75% |
Key Impacts Today
- Flash Flood Watches: A National Weather Service (NWS) Flood Watch runs until 2:00 AM Wednesday. Rainfall rates could reach 2 to 2.5 inches per hour, rapidly flooding low-lying roads, urban intersections, and small creeks.
- Peak Threat Window: While scattered rain is hitting this morning, the prime window for severe, destructive winds and tornado potential is between 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM EDT.
- Travel and Transit: Major highways—especially along the I-95 corridor—are likely to see flash flooding. Ensure you track continuous delays at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) if you have flight plans.
5-Day Outlook: Cleared Skies Ahead
| Day | Weather Condition | High / Low Temp | Rain Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Jul 22 | 86°F / 64°F | 35% (Day) / 85% (Night) | |
| Thu, Jul 23 | 80°F / 58°F | 0% | |
| Fri, Jul 24 | 82°F / 60°F | 10% | |
| Sat, Jul 25 | 78°F / 62°F | 0% | |
| Sun, Jul 26 | 84°F / 64°F | 5% |
Current conditions sit at a humid 78 degrees, feeling closer to 82 with the added moisture, under cloudy skies and south winds moving around 12 miles per hour. Those conditions are expected to deteriorate steadily as the day progresses, with the approaching storm system bringing torrential downpours, damaging winds reaching 60 to 70 miles per hour, hail, and a genuine risk of isolated tornadoes. Rainfall rates within the heaviest bands could reach 2 to 2.5 inches per hour, a pace capable of rapidly flooding low lying roads, urban intersections, and smaller creeks well before the storm system fully passes through.
Looking at the hour by hour breakdown, conditions should remain cloudy and humid through the late morning and early afternoon, with temperatures climbing from 79 to 82 degrees between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and just a 10 percent chance of rain during that stretch. Storms begin building between 2 and 3 p.m., with temperatures reaching 83 to 84 degrees and rain chances climbing to 25 percent. The most dangerous window arrives between 4 and 5 p.m., bringing heavy showers and severe storms with temperatures between 83 and 85 degrees and rain chances ranging from 49 to 65 percent. That severe activity continues from 6 to 7 p.m., with heavy rain and localized flooding likely as temperatures ease from 79 down to 75 degrees and rain chances holding between 35 and 56 percent. The system continues bringing steady rain and thunder from 8 p.m. through midnight, with temperatures dropping from 72 to 70 degrees and a 75 percent chance of rain persisting through the overnight hours.
The National Weather Service’s Flood Watch remains in effect until 2 a.m. Wednesday, reflecting genuine concern that the combination of rainfall intensity and duration could overwhelm local drainage systems well before the storm system finally clears the region. While scattered rain has already moved through parts of the state this morning, forecasters are emphasizing that the truly dangerous window for destructive winds and tornado potential falls specifically between 2 and 8 p.m. this evening, meaning residents should treat that stretch of the afternoon and evening with particular caution regardless of how the morning hours play out. The worst of the expected urban flooding is likely to hit directly along the I-95 transportation corridor, a stretch running from Wilmington and Philadelphia up through northeastern New Jersey and into New York City, an area where dense development and extensive pavement tend to compound flash flooding risk during exactly this kind of intense rainfall event.
Air travel across the region has already been significantly disrupted as a result of the approaching system. More than 630 flights have been canceled today across the major New York and New Jersey metro airports, with Newark Liberty International Airport bearing a particularly heavy share of the disruption. The Federal Aviation Administration has implemented strict air traffic control restrictions at Newark, enforcing a rolling Ground Stop and Ground Delay Program that has already pushed active delays past three and a half hours for affected flights. In response to the widespread disruption, major carriers including United, Delta, JetBlue, and American Airlines have issued severe weather travel waivers, allowing passengers scheduled to fly today to rebook their flights free of charge rather than risk getting stranded at the terminal waiting out delays that could stretch considerably longer as the storm system continues moving through the region.
Looking beyond today’s severe weather, the outlook improves considerably as the week progresses. Wednesday, July 22 starts with morning rain before transitioning to partly cloudy conditions, with a high of 86 degrees and a low of 64, though rain chances remain elevated at 35 percent during the day and climb back to 85 percent overnight as one more round of unsettled weather works through the region. From there, conditions clear dramatically. Thursday, July 23 brings mostly sunny, genuinely beautiful weather with a high of 80 and a low of 58, with no measurable rain chance. Friday, July 24 continues that pleasant stretch with partly sunny skies, a high of 82, a low of 60, and just a 10 percent rain chance. The weekend looks even better, with Saturday, July 25 bringing sunny, clear skies with a high of 78 and a low of 62 and no rain expected, followed by a sunny, warm Sunday, July 26 with a high of 84, a low of 64, and only a 5 percent chance of rain.
For now, though, today remains the primary concern. With flash flooding, damaging winds, and isolated tornado potential all in play through the evening hours, and Newark Liberty continuing to face rolling ground stops and extended delays, residents and travelers across New Jersey should stay closely tuned to updated forecasts and airline notifications throughout the afternoon and evening before conditions finally begin improving heading into Wednesday and the genuinely pleasant stretch that follows through the rest of the week.
