Severe Rain and Wind Alerts

[Guest hoss]

Special Weather Statement

NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-NORTHERN NEW HAVEN- NORTHERN MIDDLESEX- NORTHERN NEW LONDON-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN- SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX-SOUTHERN NEW LONDON-WESTERN PASSAIC-BERGEN- EASTERN PASSAIC-ESSEX-HUDSON-UNION-ORANGE- PUTNAM-ROCKLAND- NORTHERN WESTCHESTER- SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)- BRONX-RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-KINGS (BROOKLYN)-QUEENS- NASSAU- NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK- NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-SOUTHWESTERN SUFFOLK- SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-

1242 PM EDT FRI SEP 1 2006

AS OF EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION ERNESTO WAS LOCATED OVER NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

THE CENTER OF THE STORM WILL MOVE CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTH INTO SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE TURNING MORE TO THE NORTH NORTH WEST THIS EVENING. THE CENTER OF THE CIRCULATION WILL THEN MOVE INTO PENNSYLVANIA BY SATURDAY MORNING.

THE TRI-STATE REGION WILL BECOME SANDWICHED BETWEEN A VERY STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER SOUTHEAST CANADA AND THE REMNANTS OF ERNESTO...

CAUSING EAST WINDS TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. WIND GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS COASTAL AREAS BY LATE AFTERNOON. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE FURTHER TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY WHEN SUSTAINED EASTERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH AND GUSTS POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS AROUND 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS LONG ISLAND AND PARTS OF NEW YORK CITY.

THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FELT ALONG OCEAN FACING SHORES. ELSEWHERE... WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST UP TO AROUND 40 MPH.

THIS STRONG AND PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW WILL CAUSE WATER TO PILE UP ALONG THE COAST...

PARTICULARLY ACROSS WESTERN LONG ISLAND SOUND...NEW YORK HARBOR...PECONIC BAY AND THE BACK BAYS ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND.

MINOR TO LOCALLY MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING PROBLEMS WILL BECOME POSSIBLE DURING THE HIGH TIDE CYCLES SATURDAY... ESPECIALLY THE SECOND CYCLE LATE IN THE DAY.

IN ADDITION...SEAS WILL BUILD AND BECOME QUITE ROUGH...CONDITIONS IDEAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS. THE HIGH SURF WILL ALSO PRESENT A THREAT OF SPLASH-OVERS AND BEACH EROSION...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND.

WINDS ON ALL LOCAL WATERS WILL LIKELY INCREASE TO GALE FORCE BY LATE IN THE DAY TODAY AND CONTINUE AT THIS LEVEL THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.

RAIN PRECEDING ERNESTO WILL MOVE INTO THE TRI-STATE REGION TONIGHT.

THE HEAVIEST RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR OVER NEW YORK CITY AND POINTS NORTH AND WEST WHERE 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM LATER TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.

LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF UP TO 5 INCHES COULD OCCUR IF ANY PERSISTENT BANDING OF SHOWERS CAN OCCUR. OVER LONG ISLAND AND CONNECTICUT...1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...

WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE AS WELL.

RESIDENTS OF THE TRI-STATE REGION... ESPECIALLY COASTAL RESIDENTS AND MARINERS...SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND PLAN YOUR ACTIVITIES THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND ACCORDINGLY.