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CHARLOTTE COURT HOUSE – Be prepared. That was the word Thursday afternoon from the National Weather Service (NWS). Anyone going for nice weather is out of luck, officials said, as more April storms are headed this way over the next 24 hours. 

According to the NWS, a warm front is moving up from the southeastern United States, bringing with it the potential for rain and severe storms. As of Thursday afternoon, the front had been bringing rain showers to parts of Georgia and the Carolinas. The front is expected to reach the Virginia and North Carolina border by around 8 p.m. Thursday night, with the first showers hitting Charlotte County and the surrounding area by 9:30 p.m.  Rain could be heavy at times, NWS officials caution, with up to 2 inches possible. 

NWS officials said the rain showers will continue through the night and into early Friday, lasting most of the next day. Folks can expect moderate to heavy showers throughout the day, totaling to around one to one and a half inches of rain. 

“There could be some heavy rain, but it will be mostly moderate showers,” said Amanda Sava, meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

No high winds with storms this time

Fortunately, the coming front is not expected to bring very strong winds, so there is a minimal worry for damages or loss of power during the coming showers. Wind speeds are expected to be around five to 10 miles per hour.

In a situation like this, when a hot and cold front interact, there is always a chance for a severe thunderstorm to pop up. If the temperature warms up more than expected, this can contribute to the likelihood of a thunderstorm forming Friday afternoon, NWS officials said. For now, they just advise people plan to bring an umbrella and raincoat for any weekend plans.