Severe thunderstorms moving through New York area. Maps show what to expect tonight.

NEW YORK — Strong to severe thunderstorms began to move into the New York area late Friday afternoon.

CBS New York’s First Alert Weather team has issued a Yellow Alert.

Timing of New York thunderstorms

Friday afternoon: Storms develop this afternoon, especially north and west of New York City. The main threats will be downpours, small hail and damaging winds. 

Friday night: The showers and storms are expected to clear overnight. Lows will be in the 60s for most, with some 50s north and west.

Weekend forecast: Saturday looks mostly sunny and warm but less humid, with highs in the low 80s. Sunday will be similar but slightly cooler, with highs in the upper 70s for those celebrating Father’s Day. 

Hochul tells New Yorkers to “watch the weather forecast closely”

Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a warning about Friday’s thunderstorms, as well as the extreme heat and humidity in the forecast next week.

“New Yorkers should take every precaution they can over this next week to stay cool and stay safe as the combination of severe storms, heat, and humidity will pose a significant health risk for vulnerable New Yorkers,” Hochul said in a statement. “My administration will be closely monitoring the weather impacts and we encourage New Yorkers to watch the weather forecast closely, stay hydrated, and have a plan if you need to cool off during this time.”

Use this link to find a cooling center that’s open near you.

Air Quality Advisory also in effect

An Air Quality Advisory is also in effect in the New York area until 11 p.m. Friday.

Ozone levels are high, and doctors say those with underlying health issues should be especially careful.

“Anyone who has asthma or CPD should generally be on the lookout for increasing chest tightness … needing to use a rescue inhaler, wheezing, shortness of breath — those are things to all watch out for,” said Barbara Mann, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. “An average New Yorker who doesn’t have any underlying health conditions … might not notice anything at all, but that’s actually the most worrisome part of it because if you are a healthy and young person going out for a run or a workout, you may not notice anything at all, but long-term that can do a lot of damage, doing some sort of vigorous exercise on bad air quality day.”

The good news is the rain will actually help improve the air quality.

First Alert Weather maps

Stick with our First Alert Weather team for the latest forecast and weather alerts.