Thunderstorms, Heavy Rain Return To MD: Weekend Forecast

MARYLAND — Rain is moving through parts of Maryland on Friday morning, and forecasters said thunderstorms could develop later in the day with damaging winds and more showers. Ten counties are under a hazardous weather outlook.

The storms will re-energize during the day with heating in parts of the Ohio Valley and lower mid-Atlantic region, and could pack a punch in parts of the mid-Atlantic Friday, said AccuWeather forecasters.

"Storms capable of knocking down trees, triggering power outages and leading to travel delays will mainly extend from Kentucky to eastern Virginia, the Delmarva Peninsula and southern New Jersey," said AccuWeather.

Ten Maryland counties are under a hazardous weather outlook for rain and storms on Friday: Cecil, Baltimore, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Charles, St. Marys, Calvert, Montgomery, Howard and Harford.

The hazardous weather outlook is for the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, Tidal Potomac River, and I-95 corridor through central Maryland, northern Virginia, and District of Columbia.

Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon into the early evening. The primary threat is damaging wind gusts, the weather service said.

Rain and thunderstorm chances increase Friday afternoon, with chances for additional scattered showers and storms developing this afternoon into early the evening, said the National Weather Service.

Saturday will be a perfect day to go to the beach, with mostly sunny skies and a high near 90 degrees.

Sunday through Wednesday brings more chances for rain, which could be amplified if Tropical Storm Franklin becomes a hurricane as it travels north along the Eastern seaboard.

Will Franklin Affect East Coast States?

Forecasters also have an eye on Tropical Storm Franklin, which AccuWeather said will "get its second wind over the Atlantic later this week" and may strengthen into a hurricane this weekend as it turns northward.

Rough surf and an uptick in the number of rip currents are possible in the coastal regions of mid-Atlantic states, added the National Weather Service.

Currently, AccuWeather meteorologists predict that Franklin "and its potentially damaging winds" will be well off the East Coast next week.

"AccuWeather meteorologists currently believe that westerly steering winds will protect the Northeast states from any close encounter with Franklin," said the weather service earlier this week.

Here is the forecast for Maryland, from the National Weather Service:

Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. South wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Northwest wind around 7 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. North wind around 6 mph.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. North wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday: A chance of showers before 8am, then a chance of showers after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Chance of precipitation is 30%.