Severe thunderstorms, possible tornadoes threaten Midlands on Friday, forecast says
Columbia and the Midlands are under the threat of severe weather on Friday, according to the forecast from the National Weather Service.
Colder air is moving across the Southeast, creating instability that could cause “severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes,” in addition to damaging winds, the NWS said in Thursday’s 8 p.m. briefing. A lake wind advisory is already in effect, and tornado watches and warnings are possible.
After coming through Georgia, the front is expected to bring a line of storms through the Midlands between late morning and afternoon, according to the briefing.
There is a 100 percent chance of precipitation, and up to 2 inches of rain could fall, according to the NWS Columbia forecast.
The higher the temperature is in the afternoon, the greater the chances are for severe weather, according to the evening briefing.
In addition to possible tornadoes, the storms also could bring lightning, flooding and “quarter-sized hail,” the NWS reported.
The greatest threat is expected to be caused by wind gusts that exceed 60 mph, according to the NWS.
Although there have been several threats of extreme weather in recent weeks, the NWS reminds people to stay vigilant and respect the potential impact of the storms.
“Don’t lower your weather awareness just because many areas did not experience severe weather last weekend. Each system is different, stay alert,” the NWS Columbia tweeted.
This story was originally published April 18, 2019 at 10:24 PM.
