'Bomb Cyclone' With Torrential Rain, Possible Tornadoes Headed To PA

EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA — A "budding bomb cyclone" will pass over the Philadelphia region mid-week, dumping torrential rain, as well as bringing powerful winds and the possibility of localized flooding to the area, forecasters said.

The storm is expected to move in late Tuesday into Wednesday. Widespread rain will drench the region and continue for most of Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

"Those with travel plans on the ground or in the air can expect significant delays from Wednesday to early Thursday as a storm rockets northward," AccuWeather said in a Tuesday news release.

The heaviest rain will likely come Wednesday afternoon, when the chance of heavy precipitation is 100 percent. There could be thunderstorms along with the intense rain.

After Tuesday night rain, the storm will "quickly reorganize along the upper mid-Atlantic coast Wednesday. This new storm center will become the bomb cyclone, amplifying the rain from the Appalachians to the Atlantic beaches and the wind along the Atlantic coast as it moves northward through Wednesday night," AccuWeather forecasters said in the news release.

Between 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected to fall in Eastern Pennsylvania during the event. "Locally severe" thunderstorms are possible Wednesday in the coastal Northeast with the possibility of a few tornadoes in part of the mid-Atlantic, AccuWeather said.

Forecasters also warned that winds will ramp up Wednesday afternoon into Thursday as the storm strengthens.

Residents should be aware there could be sporadic power outages, and damage to property and holiday decorations is also possible, forecasters warn.

Temperatures will be warm enough to prevent precipitation from turning into snow. After the storm ends on Wednesday night, a cold front will move in as the skies clear.

Here's the latest local forecast:

Tonight: Periods of rain, mainly after 7pm. Patchy fog. Temperature rising to around 58 by 5am. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Periods of rain before 10am, then periods of rain and possibly a thunderstorm between 10am and 1pm, then periods of rain after 1pm. Patchy fog. High near 64. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Wednesday Night: Periods of rain, mainly before midnight. Patchy fog before 10pm. Low around 28. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 37. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 19.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 36.