Rain and severe storms possible in parts of Triangle and central NC this weekend
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Central North Carolina may see storms Saturday afternoon/evening and again Sunday morning.
- Most of the Triangle is under a Level 2 slight risk for severe weather this weekend.
- Friday hit 100°F with heat index 106°F; Saturday forecast high 99°F, heat index 109°F.
Central North Carolina, including the Triangle, will likely see severe thunderstorms this weekend after a brief but intense heat wave.
Severe thunderstorms may come in two waves this weekend, said Andrew Kren, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Raleigh office.
Level 2 risk
There may be isolated or scattered storms in the later afternoon and early evening on Saturday, tapering off overnight until Sunday morning when the storms begin again.
“I certainly think we’ll get some activity (Saturday), but I think it’ll end up being more areas seeing rain on Sunday,” he said.
Most of the Triangle, including Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, are under Level 2, or slight risk, for severe weather on both Saturday and Sunday.
Triangle television stations, including CBS17 and ABC11, are reporting changes of rain and possible thunderstorms into early next week. That could be encouraged with increased moisture in the air due to storms moving through Florida.
Storm watch
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring rain and thunderstorms off the coast of Florida that, as of 2 p.m. Friday, as a 30% chance of forming into a cyclone.
“Some gradual development of this system is possible while it meanders northward, bringing heavy rain to portions of the Florida west coast during the next several days,” according to the Hurricane Center.
That should help the statewide drought, Kren said, with eight counties now in exceptional drought, the highest drought rating.
Temperatures on Friday, July 17, were expected hit a high of 100 degrees with the heat index, or how the heat feels, of 106 degrees. Temperatures will remain high on Saturday with a forecasted high of 99 degrees in Raleigh but with a heat index of 109 degrees.
