Weather Service: Heat Then Rain, Floods

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, NJ has issued a flash flood watch for the area, including Bucks and Montgomery counties.

The flood watch is in effect until late tonight. That’s on top of an excessive heat warning that’s still in effect.

According to the weather service, summerlike conditions with an approaching cold front will produce several bands of very heavy rain in eastern Pennsylvania mainly between 5 p.m. and midnight.

If 1-2 inches of rain occurs in an hour that received 2-6 inches of rain this past weekend flash flooding could result.

In addition, an excessive heat warning remains in effect until 7 p.m.

The forecast calls for heat index values in the upper 90s due to temperatures in the lower 90s. The heat indices today will probably run 2 to 4 degrees warmer than yesterday’s maximums which will probably occur again today around 4-5 p.m.

The heat will continue into this evening until showers and thunderstorms arrive.

During the excessive heat, the weather services urges us to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Here’s the local forecast:

This Afternoon: A chance of showers after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Southwest wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 10pm and 4am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4am. Some storms could be severe, with gusty winds, heavy rain, and frequent lightning. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. West wind between 5 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 87. North wind at 5 mph becoming south. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 80. North wind between 10 and 14 mph.