DC, NoVA Weather: Flood Watch, Strong Storms Coming

WASHINGTON, DC—The brief respite from rain will end Friday afternoon when another wave of thunderstorms moves across Northern Virginia and DC, weather forecasters say, bringing more risk of flooding, downed trees from the soaked soil, hail and strong winds.

A new forecast suggests the state could get hammered by severe weather and flooding in the late afternoon and into the evening on Friday. A flash flood watch goes into effect for much of area at 3 p.m. Friday until 11 p.m. The National Weather Service has also issued a thunderstorm watch for numerous Virginia counties and DC through 10 p.m. Storms began developing in the west and southwest of the DC region early Friday afternoon.

"Showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening as a cold front approaches the area. Both severe weather and flash flooding will be possible in association with these storms," the National Weather Service says.

The thunderstorm watch applies to DC and the following Virginia counties: Albemarle, Arlington, Augusta, Caroline, Clarke, Culpeper, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Goochland, Greene, Hanover, Highland, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Loudoun, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren and Westmoreland. Independent cities included in the watch are: Alexandria, Charlottesville, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester.

The flood watch applies to Arlington County, Falls Church, Alexandria, Eastern Loudoun County, Fairfax County, King George County, Prince William County, Manassas, Manassas Park and Stafford County.

The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang predicts storms will hit from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. west of the Beltway, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. in DC and inside the Beltway and 6 p.m.-11 p.m. east of the Beltway. The Friday evening rush hour could be slower than normal for people commuting home or heading to a weekend vacation destination in Washington, D.C., or Baltimore, according to AccuWeather.

Capital Weather Gang says that the storm raises new concerns of flash flooding plus falling trees due to the soggy and unstable ground. Forecasters say an additional one-half to one inch could make the already saturated grounds flooded. Earlier this week, streams flooded onto roads, flowing at rapid and high levels. Four Mile Run in Arlington and Alexandria rose 6.3 feet in 11 minutes, according to the National Weather Service. There's also the threat of lightning, large hail, and powerful wind gusts.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 28: Tourist walk through heavy rain on the grounds of the US Capitol building, on July 28, 2017 in Washington, DC. Heavy rain was forecast for today and flash flood warnings were issued for certain areas. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)