Durham under flash flood warning; tornado touches down near Fuquay-Varina

By Alfred Charles, WRAL.com managing editor

Raleigh, N.C. — Durham County is under a flash flood warning as severe storms move through the Triangle Friday night.

WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze said the storm could bring gusty winds of up to 60 miles per hour and nickel-sized hail.

There were reports Friday evening of a confirmed tornado that was seen 8 miles southwest of Fuquay-Varina.

“The threat of a tornado has eased, but you can still expect heavy rain,” Maze said shortly after the tornado warning expired at 7 p.m.

He said winds were gusting over 50 miles per hour, and there’s the possibility that the National Weather Service could issue more severe weather warnings as the evening progresses.

There were no immediate reports of damage from the tornado.

Wake Counnty was also placed under a severe thunderstorm warning that expired at 7:45 p.m.

The threat of precipitation lasts through the weekend, and there’s the risk of more severe weather Sunday night into Monday morning, Maze said.

“There is that potential for an active, rainy weekend,” he said. “We will have the threat of showers for much of the weekend.”

Temperatures on Saturday are expected to top out in the mid-70s with lows dipping in the 60s, Maze said.

Sunday’s daylight hours are expected to be largely dry, and temperatures are expected to rise to around 80 degrees with a low near 60, Maze said.

The outlook for Monday calls for clearing conditions with diminishing rain chances during the day, with temperatures expected to reach the low 70s.