Fay weakens after making landfall in New Jersey

The National Weather Service said waves of up to 10 feet were possible along the coast and as much as 2 inches of rain was expected in northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania.

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By Minyvonne Burke

Millions of people along parts of the Northeast were bracing for heavy rain and strong winds as Tropical Depression Fay moves north, while other parts of the country brace for excessive heat and humidity.

Fay made landfall Friday afternoon north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, the National Hurricane Center said in a public advisory. Late Friday night it was about 15 miles northwest of New York City, it said.

Forecasters said it was weakening as it continued to move across northern New Jersey. It was downgraded to a tropical depression early Saturday.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted Thursday night that a tropical storm warning was issued for Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, and Cape May counties and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel.

The National Weather Service said Friday as much as 2 inches of rain was expected in northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania.

Trees and power lines could end up down along the coast of New Jersey, federal forecasters said. Waves of up to 10 feet were forecast.

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More than 30 million people from Fenwick Island, Delaware, to Watch Hill, Rhode Island, are also under a tropical storm warning, along with New York City and Long Island.

Fay, which set the record for the earliest "F" named storm, is expected to bring heavy rain Friday. For the coastal areas and New York City, the rain should end by early Saturday morning but continue for New England for the first half of Saturday. The weather service issued a flash flood watch for all five boroughs of New York City.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is postponing his New Hampshire campaign rally scheduled for Saturday, blaming the storm.

Those areas under a tropical storm warning should also expect gusty winds of 30-40 mph with isolated gusts of 50-60 mph. The strong winds and the rough surf could lead to some minor flooding along the coastal regions.

Isolated tornadoes are also possible over parts of New Jersey, southeast New York and southern New England, according to forecasters.

Elsewhere, 71 million people are under heat alerts across the country due to hot and humid weather. Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas are among the areas under excessive heat warnings. Heat advisories are issued for parts of California, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico as well as the Southern Plains and Southeast.

Some of these areas can expect high humidity combined with temperatures that will feel like 100-103 degrees.

The area of Death Valley National Park in California was expected to reach 124 degrees Sunday, the National Weather Service in Las Vegas said. The record for the date is 130 in 1913, according to the service.

Severe weather is also expected Saturday across parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, with the possibility of isolated tornadoes, hail and damaging winds.