The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for most of New Jersey on Sunday. The advisory encompasses nearly the entire state, excluding only Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester counties from the list of affected areas.

Sunday’s forecast would mark the third thunderstorm to pass over the region since Wednesday night, according to NWS records from Newark Liberty International Airport, which logged a second torrent on Thursday.

Sunday’s alert will remain in effect from 2-8 p.m., said Jay Engle, a meteorologist with the service.

“Rainfall of one to two inches in some areas can’t be ruled out,” Engle said, although he noted the intensity of the downpour will differ from town to town.

More: Hurricane Beryl an ‘extremely dangerous’ Cat 4 storm as it roars toward Caribbean

Power outages on tap?

Wednesday night’s tempest caused scattered blackouts. But as a result, the state’s utility companies are prepared for further disruptions, should they occur.

“If there is any bright side to the recent outages, especially Wednesday’s storm, it is that we still have extra contractors on site,” said Chris Honig, a spokesperson for Jersey Central Power & Light. “We are staffed up and prepared for this forecast. Our crews are working 16-hour days and ready to respond to anything that comes in tonight.”

However, that is not to say the companies are sure their customers will lose service, or if they do, where it will occur. Outages are difficult to predict, according to Lauren Ugorji of PSE&G, but a spate of storms in a short period of time can be a factor.

“Whenever the ground is saturated, it’s more likely for trees and branches to come down during the next storm,” she said.

PSE&G’s website advises customers to plan ahead by charging mobile phones, tablets, backup power sources and other mobile devices.

After the brunt of the storm passes, a chance of continued showers could continue into midnight, according to the NWS forecast. After that, sun is expected from Monday through Tuesday afternoon, with a turn to overcast skies for Tuesday night through Wednesday.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Jersey weather: Severe thunderstorm watch issued on Sunday