WRAL Weather Alert Day: Isolated tornadoes, damaging winds & hail possible Wednesday evening
Wednesday is a WRAL Weather Alert Day, with a Level 2 risk for severe storms in the evening.
"Wind damage, hail, isolated flooding and isolated tornadoes are all possible," said WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner. "We will see ongoing storms from Wednesday evening through mid-morning on Thursday."
"Most of the day could end up being dry until late in the day and into the night," said WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for Cumberland, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Harnett and Sampson counties until 10 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday are WRAL Weather Alert Days
Wednesday and Thursday are WRAL Weather Alert Days because of that chance for severe storms.
Here's a look at when storms are likely to be the most serious.
- Wednesday afternoon: Cloudy and calm. High of 92 with feels-like temps in the mid to upper 90s.
- Wednesday evening: The storm threat builds after dark – to 80% from 9 p.m. into Friday morning. The main threats are isolated tornadoes, damaging winds and hail. Power outages also possible.
- Overnight: Showers and severe storms likely.
- Thursday morning: WRAL Weather Alert Day continues with a Level 2 risk for severe storms.
- Thursday afternoon: Rain chances fall to 30%. Highs in the upper 80s.
- Thursday evening: Dry after dark with lows dropping into the 60s overnight.
- Friday morning: Chance for showers but mostly dry.
- Friday afternoon: Another round of storms possible, but not severe. Highs in the upper 70s.
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WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said the best chance for storms will be late Wednesday into early Thursday morning. The storms should clear out by Thursday afternoon.
The first round of storms will mostly impact the southern part of the state around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and should last until 9 p.m., according to WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell.
The next round will be a more widespread threat, but the storm energy is not nearly as high and should last from 3 a.m. Thursday until 10 a.m.
The final round could arrive later in the day on Thursday.
"At this point, the break looks minimal and extremely isolated, but if the early morning round were to fall apart, then the threat would increase tomorrow afternoon," Campbell said.
Isolated tornadoes, damaging winds and hail will be possible Thursday as a powerful front crosses North Carolina. It is the same front that produced deadly tornadoes that hit Oklahoma earlier this week.
Wednesday brings highest heat index of the year
Aside from the storms, Wednesday will be humid and H-O-T. Temperatures will climb into the 90s by the afternoon, but it will feel even hotter. The heat index will be the highest of the year, with feels-like temperatures in the mid to upper 90s.
Things will feel tropical on Thursday before we drop to more comfortable humidity levels on Friday as a cold front moves into the area.
Looking ahead at the weekend
Another round of non-severe storms is likely Friday afternoon.
Gardner said damaging winds will be the biggest threat, and rain will be heavy at times on Friday.
Behind the front, we will see cooler, more spring-like temperatures and plenty of sun.
Clouds clear out as the day goes by on Saturday, and the high will reach 75 degrees.
On Sunday, for Mother's Day, the high is 81 with mostly clear skies, a perfect day for an outdoor brunch or garden visit to celebrate mom.
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7-day forecast for central NC
- Wednesday: WRAL Weather Alert Day: Mostly cloudy with severe storms and summer-like heat. High of 92.
- Thursday: WRAL Weather Alert Day: Showers and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s.
- Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. High of 78.
- Saturday: Mostly clear. Highs in the mid 70s.
- Sunday: Clear and dry. Highs in the low 80s.
- Monday: Partly cloudy skies and warmer. Highs in the low 80s.
- Tuesday: Partly cloudy skies and still warm but with comfortable humidity levels. Highs in the low 80s.
"Over the weekend, we get the nice, refreshing feel back," said Campbell.
Prepare for a busy 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will see 15 to 20 named storms in the Atlantic basin, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.
The number of named storms is significantly higher than the long-term average and moderately higher than recent 30-year averages, according to Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at NC State.
In 2024, NC State researchers predict:
- 15-20 named storms
- 10 to 12 may grow strong enough to become hurricanes (the historical average is six)
- Three to four becoming major hurricanes
Meanwhile, forecasters at Colorado State University are calling for 24 named storms in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. That is higher than the average year, when 14 storms earn a name.
CSU forecasters say 11 storms will reach hurricane strength, up from the average of seven, and five of those hurricanes could be "major," that is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds over 111 mph.
