Flood watch for much of the Midlands ahead of possible heavy rain Wednesday

A flood watch has been issued for much of the Midlands area ahead of heavy rainfall expected Wednesday afternoon.

The watch, issued for Wednesday afternoon, covers the western half of South Carolina along with much of Georgia and North Carolina. It’s set to expire at 10 a.m. Thursday.

A flash flood watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding, according to the weather service.

Forecasters say there is the potential for heavy rain during the afternoon and evening hours and heading into Thursday morning.

“This may lead to flooding especially near streams/rivers and flood prone areas,” the weather service said in a tweet early Wednesday.

The Columbia area can expect up to 2 inches of rain from Wednesday morning through Thursday morning, according to the weather service. Other areas, including Fairfield, Newberry and Lancaster counties, can expect up to 3 inches.