🌧 WEATHER ALERT: New Yorkers are being urged to prepare for severe thunderstorms and potential flash flooding beginning Thursday afternoon, with up to 5 inches of rain expected to fall within just a few hours during the evening rush.

The city’s Emergency Management Agency is advising residents to limit travel over the next 24 hours, following a flood watch issued by the National Weather Service from Thursday at 2 p.m. through Friday at 8 a.m.

Forecasters predict 1.5 to 3 inches of rain for most of the city by Friday afternoon, with some localized areas possibly seeing as much as 5 inches.