Tornado confirmed in Duplin county, eight counties under flood advisory

By WRAL Severe Weather Center

Raleigh, N.C. — This week is the first week of meteorological summer — and it’s going to feel like it.

On Wednesday afternoon, there was a 50% chance of rain across central North Carolina that will extend into the evening.

A flood advisory has been issued for eight counties, including Wake, Durham and Harnett county. If you’re driving in the area, make sure to not drive through standing water.

A tornado was confirmed to have touched down west of Wallace. A warning is in effect for Duplin county until 5:45, WRAL’s severe weather team said.

It is not expected to impact the Triangle, WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze said.

The thunderstorm is expected to move northeast toward Kinston.

If you’re in Duplin County, don’t venture outside right now, Maze said.

Warm days with highs in the 80s bring the chance for thunderstorms each afternoon, with the possibility of some relief from recent drought conditions.

WRAL’s weather team says to expect a typical summer weather pattern in central North Carolina

We’ll get three straight days of solid rain chances, a good sign considering we just completed the driest spring on record at RDU with just over five inches of rain in a three-month span.

“I don’t expect severe storms today, we’ll have a better chance of that tomorrow,” said WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner.

Rain chances climb from about 50-50 on Wednesday, when showers and thunderstorms will be more isolated and scattered, to 60% on Thursday, the day with the highest likelihood for storms.

Thursday carries a Level 1 risk for severe weather in central North Carolina.

WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze said scattered thunderstorms could be “quite numerous on Thursday.” It’s a good sign in terms of fighting the drought we’ve seen for much of the last three months.

“[This is] the best rain chances we’ve seen in quite some time,” said Maze.

By Friday, the rain chances drop to 50 percent, with even less chance for rain through the coming weekend.

Maze said according to the Weather Prediction Center, over the next 7 days, central North Carolina could see “a fairly decent amount of rain,” with some locations getting an an inch or two.

“We are coming off the driest spring on record for Raleigh, so the increasing rain chances are great to see,” he added.