People may feel like they're moving quickly from the frying pan to a swimming pool in parts of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania this week as sweltering temperatures in the mid-to-high 90s give way to a deluge of torrential rain and potential flash flooding.

Strong rain storms lashed the U.S. East Coast Thursday, delaying flights and prompting emergency rescues of motorists trapped in deep water on busy highways from the Philadelphia area to New York City.