Hurricane Shifts, Hazardous Weather Outlook Still in Place

Joaquin may miss us, but we’re still in for some wet weather, forecasters say. The National Weather Service has issued Hazardous Weather Outlook for Southeast Pennsylvania.

The Hazardous Weather Outlook says:

• Heavy rain is possible Friday.
• Hurricane Joaquin’s forecast track is currently outlooked to move further east than Wednesday forecasts.
• Residents should continue to monitor the latests forecasts.

Flooding from Hurricane Joaquin will impact areas from South Carolina to Massachusetts even though the hurricane is unlikely to make landfall in the United States, according to AccWeather.com.

“People should not let their guard down due to a shifting track of the hurricane as the risk to lives and property in this complex situation remains high,” said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist.

Various forecasters from The Weather Channel, AccuWeather and the National Weather Service offered the following assessment at 8 a.m. Friday:

• The official forecast path for the center of Joaquin does not include New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
• At 8 a.m. Friday, the eye of Hurricane Joaquin was centered about 30 miles north-northeast of Long Island in the Bahamas.
• Maximum sustained winds are around 130 mph, making Joaquin a Category 4 hurricane.
• Joaquin underwent rapid intensification from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in less than 36 hours, and may fluctuate in intensity Friday before a slow weakening begins this weekend.
• Dangerous coastal and inland flooding is still expected for several states along the U.S. East Coast through the weekend despite the low likelihood of Joaquin making landfall, according to The Weather Channel.

Here is the latest forecast for Eastern Pennsylvania:

Today: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 54. Northeast wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight: Rain. Low around 48. Breezy, with a northeast wind around 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday: Rain or drizzle likely. Cloudy, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a northeast wind 20 to 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: A chance of drizzle or light rain. Cloudy, with a low around 53. Breezy, with a northeast wind 17 to 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 65. Breezy, with a northeast wind 17 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.