Memorial Day Weekend travel threatened as severe thunderstorms roll across Northeast: Live

Memorial Day weekend travel may be disrupted by severe thunderstorms rolling into the northeast on Thursday.

Thunderstorms will hit Interstate 95 — the main north-south freeway connecting the East Coast — in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as Memorial Day weekend travel begins Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts.

The storms could bring heavy rain, hail and strong wind gusts, according to the NWS. These conditions may cause delays and dangerous conditions for Memorial Day travellers getting an early start to their weekend.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts this weekend will bring the heaviest Memorial Day travel in nearly 20 years.

Some 43.8m people will likely travel at least 50 miles over the weekend, with most of them taking road trips, the AAA said. Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration expects at least 3m people to pass through security checkpoints this weekend.

Forecasted rain and thunderstorms may also cause air travel delays in the Great Lakes region on Friday.

Memorial Day travel expected to hit highest numbers since 2005

14:37 , Katie Hawkinson

The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts this weekend will bring the heaviest Memorial Day travel in nearly 20 years.

Some 43.8m people will likely travel at least 50 miles over the weekend, with most of them taking road trips, the AAA said, a 4 per cent increase from 2023. Most of those travellers will take a car to their destination, the AAA predicts.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration expects at least 3m people to pass through security checkpoints this weekend as airports brace for heavy traffic.