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High Winds Up To 50 MPH to Lash City Thursday, Forecasters Say

 The winds will batter the city while the rains pass through the area, forecasters said.
The winds will batter the city while the rains pass through the area, forecasters said.
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NEW YORK CITY — High winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour will lash Brooklyn and Queens through a rainy Thursday evening, officials said.

The two boroughs will be hardest hit by the sustained 30 to 40 mph winds battering the city between 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. while heavy rains pass through the area, forecasters said.

"Winds at these speeds can cause flying debris, turn unsecured objects into projectiles and cause power outages," according to officials with the Office of Emergency Management.

For up-to-date forecasts, check DNAinfo's weather page.

The winds are caused by a big storm over the eastern Great Lakes and some high pressure over the Atlantic, according to the National Weather Service.

"We're expecting the impacts to be minor, minor property damage, some downed limbs and power outages as well," said Tim Morrin, of the NWS.

City officials warned New Yorkers that high winds could be dangerous.

"During periods of high winds, residents should use caution when walking or driving high profile vehicles," OEM officials said.

High winds have already caused one death in 2016, when a large crane toppled in TriBeCa and killed a Harvard-educated financial trader, David Wichs, in February.

Fewer than two months later, a mayor-appointed task force tasked with studying crane safety relaxed regulations to allow some cranes to operate in high winds. The Department of Buildings vowed to take 90 days to study the issue, but came back in half that time.

During the Thursday winds, a heavy band of rain will move up from Pennsylvania and Maryland into the city about mid-afternoon, Morrin said.

"Once the rain band reaches New York City, we're expecting it to last right on through the evening," Morrin said.

The rains will calm by nightfall, but continue until shortly after midnight, forecasters said.