Tornado touches down near Fuquay-Varina; storms leave some damage in Wake County

By Alfred Charles, WRAL.com managing editor

Raleigh, N.C. — All severe weather alerts have been allowed to expire after a line of strong storms moved through the Triangle, prompting a tornado warning during the evening hours.

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

WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze said winds were gusting over 50 miles per hour as the tornado warning was in effect for parts of Wake, Chatham and Harnett counties.

Some Harnett County residents reported downed trees as a result of the tornado, but no significant damage was reported.

Wake County was also placed under a severe thunderstorm warning that expired at 7:45 p.m. Downed trees were reported in Wake County and some roads were closed as a result of flooding.

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.