By: Richard L. Smith
Newark and much of the North Jersey region will experience a wet and breezy start to the week as a storm system moves through the area Monday, bringing showers, possible thunderstorms, and strong winds.
Early morning temperatures will climb through the day, reaching a high near 65 degrees, but the warmer air will come with periods of rain and reduced visibility due to areas of fog.
According to the National Weather Service, a steady south wind between 15 and 23 mph will develop throughout the day, with gusts potentially reaching 39 mph.
Rain chances remain high, with an 80 percent probability of precipitation and rainfall totals expected between a quarter and half an inch.
Conditions are expected to become more active Monday night as another round of showers and possible thunderstorms moves through the region. Fog may linger early in the evening before winds shift.
Temperatures will fall sharply overnight, dropping to around 35 degrees as winds shift from the south to the west after midnight.
Wind gusts could strengthen even further, potentially reaching 47 mph, creating blustery conditions across the region.
Rain chances overnight remain near certain at 100 percent, with additional rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter inch, though heavier pockets of rain are possible within thunderstorms.
Residents heading out Monday evening should prepare for wet roads, strong winds, and rapidly falling temperatures overnight as the storm system exits the region.