(Bloomberg) -- A severe storm raking the US East Coast will intensify rapidly on Wednesday, threatening to trigger power outages as it unleashes heavy rain and winds on New York City and the rest of the region.

As much as 2.5 inches (6 centimeters) may fall in the Central Park, the National Weather Service said. The rain will continue through the day and be accompanied by strengthening winds, with gusts as high as 47 miles (76 kilometers) per hour in Manhattan. Wednesday’s high in New York may reach 63F (17C) before dropping to 36F overnight.

“The stage is set for a rapidly intensifying low pressure system to track up the East Coast today,” the US Weather Prediction Center said. “Widespread heavy rain and severe thunderstorm threats” are spreading up the East Coast and through New England.

Long Island and large parts of New England, including Boston, will also be swept by high winds, with gusts up to 60 mph possible. The high winds and rain will also spread into New Brunswick, Canada, and there’s a chance for severe thunderstorms to break out along the US East Coast from Virginia to Massachusetts.

The warm weather and rain will melt snow across northern New England, creating the risk of flooding in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

A rush of cold air will arrive in the storm’s wake, setting off another round of lake-effect snow across the eastern shores of Lakes Michigan, Erie and Ontario, including Buffalo. Snow will also fall across the Appalachian Mountains. Snowfall totals of 1 to 2 feet are likely across parts of northwest and western New York, as well as portions of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, the Weather Prediction Center said.

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