Severe Thunderstorm Warning In 13 NJ Counties, 60-MPH Winds

NEW JERSEY - A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect in 13 counties in New Jersey on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect through nearly the entire state as damage was reported in some towns and more than 13,000 were without power. (see list of towns below).

Forecasters expressed concern that the weather could impact testing and triage units amid the coronavirus outbreak. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Winds as strong as 60 mph and penny-sized hail were reported.

Here were the alerted areas:

Here are the towns without power:

1. NEW BRUNSWICK CITY 1,609
2. SOUTH BRUNSWICK TWP 1,296
3. BLAIRSTOWN TOWNSHIP 1,107
4. FRANKLIN TWP 1,026
5. WEST ORANGE TWP 851
6. PRINCETON 781
7. CHESTER TOWNSHIP 743
8. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 727
9. HOPE TOWNSHIP 649
10. LYNDHURST TWP 551
11. ALEXANDRIA TOWNSHIP 549
12. DELAWARE TOWNSHIP 543
13. EAST AMWELL TOWNSHIP 296
14. KINGWOOD TOWNSHIP 274
15. PERTH AMBOY CITY 247
16. KNOWLTON TOWNSHIP 234
17. FRELINGHUYSEN TOWNSHIP 220
18. HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP 219
19. WEST AMWELL TOWNSHIP 178
20. CHESTER BOROUGH 140
21. MOORESTOWN TWP 139
22. MONTGOMERY TWP 124
23. PLAINFIELD CITY 105
24. MOUNT OLIVE TOWNSHIP 86
25. WHITE TOWNSHIP 78
26. HARDWICK TOWNSHIP 75
27. FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP 65
28. WOODBRIDGE TWP 61
29. MARLBORO TOWNSHIP 59
30. EAST BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP 54
31. OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP 44
32. WALL TOWNSHIP 43
33. RARITAN TOWNSHIP 37
34. EWING TWP 24
35. MANSFIELD TWP 23
36. HOPEWELL TWP 15
37. STOCKTON BOROUGH 9
38. HARMONY TOWNSHIP 9
39. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 7
40. LAWRENCE TWP 7
41. LAMBERTVILLE CITY 6
42. PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP 6
43. JACKSON TOWNSHIP 6

The watch will be in effect in all counties except for Warren and Sussex until 4 p.m.

A wind advisory is in effect, too, with winds expected to be as strong as 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 60 mph, according to the NWS.

Strong winds may occur again on Friday, with the potential for downed tree limbs and scattered power outages, the NWS said.

AccuWeather said the storms into Thursday evening may not only cause property damage but also pose threats to anyone spending time outdoors, including those waiting in line or providing service at outdoor COVID-19 triage and testing centers.

"The storms along the mid-Atlantic coast on Thursday afternoon have the potential to bring damaging wind gusts and disruptive downpours," Brett Anderson, AccuWeather forecaster, said in an AccuWeather release.

Here is the forecast:

• Thursday afternoon: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 3 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 3 and 5 p.m., then a chance of thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds. High near 63. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Thursday night: A slight chance of showers between 11pm and 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
• Friday: slight chance of showers after 2pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 54. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
• Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 55. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.