ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Dangerous heat and scattered thunderstorms will persist across the Carolinas and parts of the southern Appalachians on Wednesday, with heat indices once again nearing triple digits, according to the National Weather Service.
While actual temperatures are expected to be slightly lower than Tuesday, high humidity will maintain oppressive conditions across much of the region. Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are likely through the afternoon and evening, and some could turn severe. Forecasters say the primary threats include damaging wind gusts, locally heavy rainfall and isolated flash flooding, particularly where storms move slowly or repeatedly track over the same areas.
Rainfall rates could exceed 2 inches per hour in some locations, with localized totals of 3 to 4 inches possible in the mountains. The combination of deep atmospheric moisture, slow storm movement and complex terrain is increasing the flash flood risk, the weather service said.
Meanwhile, radar coverage from the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (KGSP) remains offline due to scheduled maintenance and part replacement. The outage is expected to last through Thursday, July 31. During this time, nearby radar sites in Columbia, South Carolina (KCAE), Peachtree City, Georgia (KFFC), Huntsville, Alabama (KHTX), Morristown, Tennessee (KMRX), Blacksburg, Virginia (KFCX), and Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina (KRAX) are providing supplemental coverage.
Relief from the heat is expected later this week, with a cold front forecast to sweep through the region Friday. Temperatures could drop by 10 to 20 degrees over the weekend, along with increased cloud cover and higher chances for rain.