First Alert: Bertha brings heavy downpours, potential for flash flood through Thursday morning

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The remnants of Bertha continue to track northward through the Carolinas after forming into a Tropical Storm and making landfall along the South Carolina coast earlier today.

Heavy tropical downpours and intermittent gusts will spread across the WBTV viewing area this evening and into early Thursday morning, with the highest rainfall amounts mainly favoring communities east of the I-77 corridor as the center of the storm moves over Central North Carolinas.

A Flash Flood Watch is effect for a significant part of the WBTV viewing area through Thursday morning as rainfall totals up to 3” are possible over a fairly short period of time.

With the ground still nearly saturated and stream levels elevated, these moderate to heavy downpour will cause rapid stream rises and could lead to flash flooding, especially east of I-77.

This fast-moving system will exit the region overnight giving way to cloudy, but mostly dry conditions by daybreak Thursday.

Dense pockets of fog will likely pose a problem for anyone out on the roads early tomorrow morning. The fog lifts by mid-morning as temperatures climb from the mid-60s to the lower 80s Thursday afternoon.

An upper level low moving over the Ohio River Valley will push warm, moist air into Carolinas – allowing temperatures to reach and surpass seasonal average Thursday and Friday.

However, the return of warm conditions will come at a cost leading to the potential for the development of strong to severe storms during the afternoon and early evening hours both Thursday and Friday.

The cold front associated with the low will swing through the area late Saturday creating the opportunity for yet another round of scattered showers for the first half of the weekend. But drier, brighter and slightly cooler conditions will abide over the region Sunday and into the first part of the workweek.

First Alert Meteorologist Jonathan Stacey