More strong thunderstorms are headed to the Carolinas, bringing the potential for tornadoes and heavy rain, the National Weather Service says.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms will move east across the Carolinas on Friday, forecasters say. “A few of these storms may be capable of producing damaging winds and tornadoes. Very heavy rainfall is likely,” the Weather Service in Raleigh warned.

All of North and South Carolina could see impacts from the storms, but central and eastern North Carolina, along with South Carolina’s Pee Dee and Grand Strand regions, are at particular risk for severe weather. The Weather Service says the storms should move through central and eastern parts of the Carolinas between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m. Friday. The strongest storms could produce damaging straight-line winds and isolated tornadoes. Flooding rainfall is also possible,” the Weather Service said Wednesday morning.

 

The Interstate 95 corridor could see some of the heaviest rains with at least 1.5 inches predicted, according to the Weather Service’s Wilmington office. Parts of northeast South Carolina, including the Myrtle Beach area, could also see more than 1.5 inches of rain, according to the Weather Service.

 

The Wilmington and Myrtle Beach areas could see damaging winds and “a few tornadoes,” the Weather Service said.

NWS forecasters warned: “Thunderstorms may be severe; will move across the Cape Fear region Friday afternoon/evening. Storms will exit Friday night into early Saturday morning.”
The timing will be earlier for western North Carolina and the South Carolina Upstate. The band of storms will move into the Carolinas starting early Friday morning. Some of the storms could be severe, the Weather Service in Greenville, South Carolina, said.

 

Friday
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 5pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. High near 66. South wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Friday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a chance of rain, mainly between 11pm and 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. West wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday
A slight chance of rain before 9am, then a chance of showers after 9am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. South wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday Night
A slight chance of showers before 9pm, then a slight chance of rain between 9pm and 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 69.

Isolated severe thunderstorms capable of producing locally damaging wind gusts and isolated brief tornadoes will be possible, especially across the Piedmont during the daylight hours Friday,” the Weather Service said. There could also be local flash flooding in streams and urban areas.

Friday’s storms will follow about the same pattern as the storms a week before, according to the Weather Channel. The line of severe weather will start in the Plains and the Midwest on Wednesday and sweep across the South to the East Coast over the coming days, the Weather Channel forecasts, bringing heavy rain, wind, and the possibility for hail and tornadoes with it.