Tropical concerns increase at the end of the week with heavy rain and gusty winds

Tuesday: After some morning showers cleared over central Alabama, rain chances northwest of I-59 appear to be limited this afternoon, with more places than usual missing rain. A few stronger storms cannot be ruled out over northwest Alabama today. It will remain warm, with highs in the 30s to 35 degrees.

Outlook:

Heavy rain, flash flooding and gusty winds possible

Humidity continues to increase this week as a cold front approaches from the northwest mid-week. Due to increasing cloud cover, temperatures will slowly fall back into the 30s by Wednesday. This front will provide enough lift to trigger several showers and possibly a few thunderstorms starting Tuesday night and Wednesday. Rain chances will continue through Thursday as the front begins to stagnate and the influence of Tropical Storm Helene increases rain chances.

Then the weather gets more interesting as Tropical Storm Helene in the Gulf of Mexico will gain strength and become stronger throughout the week as it approaches the US, becoming a hurricane in the Gulf tomorrow. It is very likely that rain will continue through Thursday. However, if Helene continues to move northwest near central Alabama, some of us could be dealing with a lot of rain/wind on Friday as well.

We currently expect the heaviest rainfall to occur on Wednesday and Thursday, posing a risk of flooding.

The heaviest of the rain should move out by Friday morning, allowing for much drier conditions in the afternoon. Thursday and Friday will see gusty winds at times, with gusts of 30-40 mph, especially along and east of I-65.

The risk of wind will therefore remain even when the heaviest rains subside on Friday morning.

This forecast will be continually refined as more data comes in. Stay tuned to CBS-42 for all your tropical forecast needs.

In search of the tropics: Tropical Storm Helene has formed in the Caribbeanand is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Wednesday as it moves north into the Gulf. It is expected to make landfall somewhere near the Big Bend region of Florida, with impacts possible from the Pensacola area to Tampa Bay. Those with interests along the central and eastern Gulf Coast should keep a close eye on this storm from now through Friday.

Be sure to follow the CBS 42 Storm Team:

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