NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Several days of wet and stormy weather are ahead, starting tonight and continuing through the weekend.
A weather system, known as a shortwave boundary, is moving into the area and will stay for the weekend, bringing increased chances of rain. According to the latest forecast models, these storms will come and go throughout the weekend, but will be particularly active during the hottest parts of the afternoon.
These storms are expected to be very efficient at producing rain because there is a lot of moisture in the atmosphere. The amount of water in the air is unusually high for this time of year, which means that the storms could bring heavy rainfall in a short period. This raises concerns about flash flooding.
In addition to the heavy rain, these storms could bring lightning and gusty winds of 30 to 50 mph. There is also a chance that some of the storms could become severe.
On the bright side, the increased rain will bring some relief from the heat. High temperatures through the weekend are expected to be in the upper 80s, which is a bit cooler than what we’ve been experiencing.
As we move into Sunday and Monday, another weather system, known as an easterly wave, will move into the Gulf of Mexico and again increase our chances for rain at the start of next week.
This system also comes with a lot of tropical moisture, meaning more efficient and potentially heavy rainfall. There will be a continued risk of flash flooding, so it’s important to stay updated on the latest weather information. The good news is that the additional rainfall will help keep temperatures closer to normal, so we won’t have to worry much about extreme heat next week.
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