COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — This evening, thunderstorms are expected to develop as a disturbance moves across Indiana and interacts with the warm, unstable air in place.
ALSO | Live Radar | Current Alerts
- TONIGHT (ALERT NIGHT): Heavy rainfall. Low 70.
- SUNDAY (ALERT DAY): Sct. storms. High 89.
- MONDAY: Partly cloudy. High 83.
- TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. High 82.
- WEDNESDAY: Iso. storms. High 84.
- THURSDAY: Partly cloudy. High 79.
- FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. High 78.
- SATURDAY: Sunny. High 85.
Storms could develop during the mid-afternoon and then track east and southeast across the area through the evening. There is enough instability and wind shear for some storms to become strong to severe. Damaging wind gusts will be the primary concern, although an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out because of increasing wind shear near the ground. Heavy rainfall will also be possible with the storms. A FLOOD WATCH is in place until 8am.
After tonight’s storms move through, there should be a general lull in thunderstorm activity overnight. However, the atmosphere will remain very moist, allowing any additional storms to produce very heavy rainfall. With the ground already saturated in many areas, repeated rounds of thunderstorms could quickly lead to additional flooding. Some areas could receive several inches of rain if storms repeatedly move over the same locations, so the flooding threat will remain an important concern through the weekend.
Sunday will bring another round of thunderstorms as a cold front moves into the region. Strong daytime heating will help temperatures warm and instability increase, allowing scattered thunderstorms to develop during the afternoon before spreading east and southeast. Once again, some storms could become severe, with damaging winds being the main threat. Increasing wind shear could also support an isolated tornado. Heavy rainfall will remain possible as well, particularly where storms move slowly or repeatedly pass over the same areas.
Temperatures will also become warmer Sunday, especially along and south of the Ohio River. Some locations could approach 90 degrees, and with humidity levels remaining high, it could feel closer to 100 degrees during the afternoon. However, widespread clouds and thunderstorms could keep temperatures lower in areas that see more storm activity.
A cold front will finally push through late Sunday into Sunday night, bringing an end to the warm and humid pattern. Behind the front, temperatures will fall back to near or slightly below normal levels for the beginning of next week, with noticeably lower humidity. Until that front arrives, the focus remains on an active and potentially impactful weekend with multiple rounds of thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding concerns, and the possibility of severe weather.