Hail, heavy rain may hit Long Island tonight

Thunderstorms predicted for Nassau and Suffolk on Tuesday evening may bring hail and gusty winds as well as heavy rain, the National Weather Service said.

The agency said the showers and thunderstorms were likely after 5 p.m., with a quarter-inch to a half-inch of rain possible in some areas.

Otherwise, Tuesday was to be mostly cloudy with a high near 82.

The storms were likely to continue until midnight and could go on after then, the agency said on its website.

Last week, hailstones as big as 3 inches in diameter peppered western Nassau, leaving some cars with golf-ball-sized dents.

Wednesday was to be mostly sunny with a high near 86, and Thursday was to be sunny with a high near 79.