Gear up for a dreary Friday as Delaware rings in the weekend with plenty of rain and flooding.
As the high lingers near 45 degrees today, there is a 90% chance of rain, which is expected to begin after 3 p.m. It may also be blustery, as 10-mph winds with gusts as high as 20 mph will be present.
By nightfall, thunderstorms are possible before 4 a.m. as the potential for heavy rainfall continues to affect the area. Up to 2 inches of rainfall are expected.
Through this evening, a gale advisory is in effect for Atlantic Coastal waters and the Delaware Bay, bringing wind gusts up to 45 knots and seas up to 11 feet high, according to the National Weather Service.
A wind advisory in effect for coastal Delaware forecasts wind gusts up to 50 mph that could damage trees and unsecured structures or objects.
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Where is flooding expected?
Coastal flooding is highly anticipated for New Castle and Kent counties.
New Castle County is expected to see up to 1 foot of inundation above ground level in low-lying areas near shoreline and tidal waterways. The most vulnerable roads in Kent County will be in coastal and bayside communities and along inland tidal waterways.
The National Weather Service advises all drivers to allow for extra time due to possible road closures, take caution when driving through flooded areas and do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.
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What about the rest of the weekend?
By Saturday morning, rainy weather will be left in the past.
The rest of the weekend will bring sunshine and cloudy skies as temperatures settle around 53 degrees, with a low near 33 degrees, through Sunday.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
