Tropical Storm Fay Drops Heavy Rain on Delaware and New Jersey

Tropical Storm Fay dropped heavy rain on parts of Delaware and southern New Jersey on Friday morning.  At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Fay was located at latitude 37.6°N and longitude 74.7°W which put it about 90 miles (145 km) south of Cape May, New Jersey.  Fay was moving toward the north at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 999 mb.

A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Fenwick Island, Delaware to Watch Hill, Rhode Island including southern Delaware Bay, Long Island and Long Island Sound.

Tropical Storm Fay intensified slowly on Friday morning.  A reconnaissance aircraft reported that the minimum surface pressure decreased to 999 mb.  A ring of showers and lower clouds encircled the center of Tropical Storm Fay.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms wrapped around the northern and western sides of Fay.  Bands in the southern part of the circulation consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.  Drier air was wrapping around the southern portion of the tropical storm.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 140 miles (225 km) in the eastern side of Tropical Storm Fay.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 80 miles (130 km) on the western side of the circulation.

Tropical Storm Fay will move through an environment that could allow for some additional intensification during the next few hours.  Fay will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 26°C.  An upper level trough over the eastern U.S. will produce southwesterly winds which will blow toward the top of the circulation.  Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear.  The shear will inhibit intensification, but it may not be strong enough to prevent Tropical Storm Fay from strengthening a little more.

The upper level trough over the eastern U.S. and a high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean will interact to steer Tropical Storm Fay toward the north-northeast during the next several days.  On its anticipated track Fay could approach the coast of New Jersey in a few hours.  Tropical Storm Fay will move across Long Island on Friday night.

Tropical Storm Fay will bring gusty winds to the coast of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.  Locally heavy rain will fall over those areas as the center of Fay approaches.  Flood Watches have been issued for parts of Delaware, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, southeastern New York, Connecticut and western Massachusetts.   Easterly winds blowing around the north side of Tropical Storm Fay could push water toward the coast.  Water Level rises of three feet (1 meter) could occur in some locations.