Long Island weather: Eyes on ‘significant coastal storm’

Thursday may have hit a balmy 50 degrees on Long Island under mostly cloudy skies, but by Sunday the area could well be feeling impacts from a “significant coastal storm,” the National Weather Service said.

In a hazardous weather statement issued late Thursday afternoon, the service told of the potential for strong easterly winds overnight Sunday into Monday night.

The system also brings the “potential for significant rainfall,” said Carlie Buccola, weather service meteorologist in Upton. But it’s too soon to be forecasting precise timing and amounts.

On Instagram, Rich Hoffman, News 12 Long Island meteorologist, shared his take late Thursday afternoon, saying, “Watching storm threat” for Monday into Tuesday, which could mean strong winds of more than 30 mph, plus “coastal flooding and heavy rain.”

The weather service’s statement also spoke of the possibility of minor to locally moderate coastal flooding during high tides Monday and Tuesday morning. In addition, there’s “potential for dune erosion and localized washovers for the Atlantic Ocean beaches.”