New Yorkers, after days of heavy smoke and torrid temperatures, are met with thunderstorms and flash flooding

(CNN) — Following days of smoky skies and soaring temperatures, the Big Apple and surrounding areas were pummeled Saturday with heavy thunderstorms, downpours and flash floods.

Two to four inches of rain fell by early afternoon Saturday, with up to an inch an hour expected, according to the National Weather Service. A flood watch is in effect for all five boroughs of New York City, southern Westchester County and northeast New Jersey through 2 a.m. Sunday, the service said.

“The flooding could be locally significant, which could lead to disruption to transportation, basement flooding, and water rescues,” the National Weather Service in New York said.

The heaviest rain fell in lower Manhattan and western Brooklyn and Queens, according to the city emergency management officials. Residents of basement apartments were urged to move to higher floors.

“This storm event is not over, and the mayor continues to urge residents and visitors to our city to remain vigilant and stay safe,” Jeremy Edwards, a spokesperson for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, said Saturday afternoon.

In the Bronx...