Irene Remains Cat 1; Will Move Inland Over Southern New England This Afternoon

The National Weather Service has issued several warning and watches for Madison and surrounding towns, including a tornado watch.

Hurricane Warning
Tornado Watch
Flood Warning
Flood Watch
Hazardous Weather Outlook

As you well know if you live in Madison, tropical storm conditions are affecting the town right now.

Here is the National Weather Service report about Irene, and the latest forecast for Madison and surrounding towns, as of 6:20 a.m.

The center of Hurricane Irene was located by an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft and NOAA Doppler radar near latitude 39.2 north and longitude 74.5 west. Irene is moving toward the north-northeast near 18 mph, and this motion accompanied by a gradual increase in speed is expected during the next day or so. On the forecast track, Irene will move near or over the coast of New Jersey and over western Long Island this morning, and move inland over southern New England by this afternoon. Irene is forecast to move into eastern Canada tonight.

Data from the hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 75 mph with higher gusts. Irene is a Category One hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Little change in strength is expected before Irene moves inland later today. After landfall in New England, Irene is forecast to weaken and become a post-tropical cyclone by tonight or early Monday.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 125 miles from the center, and tropical force winds extend outward up to 230 miles. La Guardia Airport in New York City recently reported a sustained wind of 41 mph and a wind gust of 64 mph.  

Water levels have been rising rapidly in advance of the center of Irene, with recently observed storm surge values of 3.9 feet at Sandy Hook in New Jersey, 3.8 feet at New York Harbor, and 3.1 feet at Cape May, NJ.

The forecast for Madison and surrounding towns:

Today: Tropical storm conditions, with hurricane conditions possible. Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. East wind 45 to 55 mph becoming south between 40 and 60 mph. Winds could gust as high as 80 mph.

Tonight: Tropical storm conditions possible, with hurricane conditions also possible. Rain likely, mainly before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 59. West wind 31 to 36 mph decreasing to between 9 and 14 mph. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 79. West wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 80. North wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 77.