Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Severe Thunderstorms Drench City Sunday Night

By Tom Liddy | August 21, 2011 12:25pm | Updated on August 22, 2011 6:12am

MANHATTAN — Another soggy Sunday has brought Manhattan's August rainfall to near record levels.

Heavy thunderstorms dumped 1.24 inches of rain in Central Park Sunday, bringing the monthly total in the city to 12.16 inches, according to WCBS-TV meteorologists. The record for August rainfall is 12.36 inches set back in 1990, the station reported.

Severe thunderstorm and flash flood watches were issued Sunday morning for Manhattan ahead of  strong storms that moved throughout the day.

The rain came one week after a historic 7.72 inches of rainfall was reported at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Aug.15, the most ever recorded there in a single day, breaking the previous record of 6.3 inches, set in 1983, according to the National Weather Service.

Sunday's downpour is expected to cool things off Monday with partly sunny skies and a high of 82 degrees.

However, the dry weather may be short lived. In the South, Hurricane Irene is expected to reach the east coast this week and bring heavy rain and wind north by the weekend.