Long Island Weather: Tropical Storm Watch Issued As Jose Approaches

A tropical storm watch has now been issued for Long Island as Hurricane Jose continues its trek up the East Coast.

"Confidence in a period of tropical storm winds and heavy rain is increasing for Long Island Tuesday into Wednesday," the National Weather Service's Upton office said in a forecast discussion Sunday afternoon."The exact track of Jose will affect the intensity of winds, rain, and coastal impacts for the region during this time period."

There's currently a 30-40 percent chance of tropical-storm-force winds, meaning sustained winds of 39 mph or more, in Nassau County and western Suffolk County and a 40-50 percent chance in eastern Suffolk. The strongest winds are expected on the East End which Jose is expected to approach Wednesday morning before making a hard right turn out to sea. The "most likely" arrival time of tropical-storm-force winds on the island is 8 p.m. Tuesday.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, Jose was located about 660 miles south of Montauk. It's currently a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 90 mph. Jose is expected to weaken into a tropical storm as it heads north and encounters cooler waters.

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Jose will likely bring large waves, possibly close to 20 feet in the coastal ocean waters south of Long Island, 9 to 12 feet in the Long Island Sound waters east of Orient Point, and up to 8 feet in central Long Island Sound. Dangerous rip currents, high surf, widespread dune erosion, and localized washovers are all possible through mid-week, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday, the NWS says.

The potential for minor to moderate coastal flooding is increasing for Long Island. Rainfall amounts are expected to range between 1 and 3 inches, with the highest amounts across the East End.

The full forecast:

Sunday Night- Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind around 7 mph.

Monday- Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. East wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday Night- A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a steady temperature around 69. Northeast wind 14 to 17 mph.

Tuesday- Tropical storm conditions possible. Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tuesday Night- Tropical storm conditions possible. Showers likely. Cloudy, with a steady temperature around 70. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Wednesday- Tropical storm conditions possible. A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.

Wednesday Night- Tropical storm conditions possible. A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.

Thursday- Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.

Thursday Night- Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Friday- Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.

Also See: Another Hurricane Could Be Headed Toward The Caribbean