New York rolled out a sun-soaked welcome mat to salute the start of Fleet Week yesterday as 11 military ships sailed up the Hudson.
Thousands of people watched from land or on small boats under brilliant blue skies as the vessels came to town carrying 3,000 Navy, Marine, Army and Air Force members.
The Parade of Ships headed toward the George Washington Bridge, made a U-turn and went to dock at piers either near the Intrepid Museum or to berths on Staten Island.
The weather was glorious, but a sudden surge in humidity made it feel a little sticky.
“It’s almost as humid as in Oklahoma City,” said Marine Corp. Justin Floam, an Oklahoma native after the USS Iwo Jima docked.
Today, the Big Apple could get a soaking.
“We may see a fair amount of nasty thunderstorm activity [today and tonight],” AccuWeather.com meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said yesterday.
“Some areas throughout the metropolitan area could be hit by hail, some strong winds, blinding downpours and frequent lightning strikes,” he said.
Today’s high is expected to be around 82.
Tomorrow “may start with a shower, but there should be a nice cool breeze in the afternoon, some sunshine, with highs within a couple of degrees of 70,” Sosnowski said.
On Saturday, look for a mostly sunny day, with a high in the mid-70s. Sunday will be “another fine day,” he said, with a high of about 82 degrees.
On Monday, Memorial Day, “we think will stay rain-free during daytime hours, at least partial sunshine and a high of 85 degrees. I wouldn’t rule out an evening shower or thunderstorm.”