Storms, High Wind Pound New York, Threaten Power Outages

(Bloomberg) -- Power lines and tree branches shook to the breaking point as a line of thunderstorms capable of triggering a tornado in New York swept through the region.

A tornado warning, meaning a twister might happen, was issued for Manhattan, the Bronx and parts of Westchester and Nassau counties through 3 p.m., the National Weather Service said. A line of severe thunderstorms was moving across the East Coast from Connecticut to Maryland. Wind gusts as high as 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour were expected across the region, raising the potential for scattered power outages as weak branches and electricity lines are knocked to the ground.

A second front may bring another round of wind to Manhattan early Wednesday, said David Roth, a senior forecaster at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Many people are working from home because of the coronavirus lockdown, and the impact of power outages on businesses may be muted. Utilities are limited in how much help they can get from peer companies for power-line repairs and clearing downed trees.

High winds were also forecast across southern New England and Boston.

In the wake of the front, as much as 6 inches (15 centimeters) of snow may fall across northern Maine, and lake-effect snow might develop in western New York and Pennsylvania.

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