Surf is up along the New Jersey shore and Delaware beaches because a storm is churning the Atlantic Ocean off the Carolinas causing the NBC10 First Alert Weather Team to issue a First Alert through Tuesday night.
"This system may strengthen into a tropical storm during the day, but even if it doesn’t, the shore and the beaches will get periods of heavy rain and potentially damaging winds," First Alert Weather meteorologist Bill Henley said.
A high rip current risk is in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday along the southern Jersey Shore and Delaware, according to the National Weather Service. Swimmers should obey lifeguards and use caution.
"This system is centered to our south off the Carolina coast and is moving northeast, which will eventually take it out to sea, but until that happens, the intensity of the wind and rain will increase in our area," Bill said.
A high surf advisory is in effect from Ocean County to the southern tip of New Jersey until Wednesday.
A gale warning is in effect until Wednesday from Manasquan Inlet to Cape May. Forecasters are predicting powerful northeast wind gusts up to 50 mph.
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"Wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph in Southern Delaware and at the Jersey Shore could bring down some trees and limbs, so I expect some neighborhoods will loose power," Bill said.
Forecasters say spotty minor tidal flooding is possible during high tide and there is also a potential for locally heavy rain.
Rain and some strong winds could impact much of the Philadelphia region Tuesday as rain was already falling in Berks County as of 7 a.m.
