Tornado risk for Charlotte region on Wednesday
The Charlotte region has a risk of severe thunderstorms and even a tornado on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.
The chance of tornadoes will be greater, however, farther east in areas such as Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Fayetteville and Wilmington, according to the center.
Strong to severe thunderstorms capable of damaging winds are forecast from the mid-Atlantic states southward through the Carolinas and into Florida on Wednesday, according to the center.
“A strong tornado risk may maximize over North Carolina,” the center reported in an online forecast discussion at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The greatest chance for severe weather in the Charlotte area is between noon and 3 p.m. Wednesday, said Harry Gerapetritis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greer, S.C.
“Everyone will want to be on their guard,” Gerapetritis said.
A flash flood watch, meanwhile, has been issued for the entire Charlotte region from 6 p.m. Tuesday until 6 p.m. Wednesday, as even heavier rounds of rain are expected to move into the area.
Many parts of the region have received 1 to 2 inches of rain since Monday night.
Another 2 to 4 inches could fall Tuesday night and Wednesday, as a low pressure system moves in from the Mississippi River Valley, according to the National Weather Service’s flash flood watch issued early Tuesday.
Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to accompany the system and could produce “torrential rainfall rates” on Wednesday, according to the flash flood watch.
The showers should begin to move from the area Wednesday night. Sunshine is forecast for Thursday, Friday and the weekend.
Temperatures, meanwhile, will continue to bounce around this week.
Tuesday’s forecast high of 50 is about 7 degrees below normal for Feb. 23.
The high could climb to 68 Wednesday and then drop to 51 Thursday and 49 Friday. Highs should then climb again, to 50 Saturday, 56 Sunday and 61 Monday, according to the weather service.
Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067, @jmarusak
This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 6:05 AM with the headline "Tornado risk for Charlotte region on Wednesday."