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Heavy rain continues today in the Midlands, chance of flash flooding

Rain is expected through Tuesday. The Weather Prediction Center has outlined the Midlands for a flash flooding risk today.
Credit: WLTX

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Localized flooding will be a concern again across the Midlands on Tuesday.

 Showers will increase in frequency throughout the morning with slow moving thunderstorms developing by late morning and into the afternoon. An additional half an inch of rain is possible with downpours capable of producing rain totals over 2 inches in some communities. T

his setup, after the heavy rain over the past few days, has prompted the Weather Prediction Center to outline the entire Midlands for a risk for excessive flooding. 

Credit: WLTX

Heavy rain on Monday evening brought localized flooding in parts of Lexington County on Monday. As of early Tuesday morning, the Lexington County Airport near Pelion reported well over 4 inches of rain from Monday evening's storms. The Columbia Metropolitan Airport reported over an inch and a half of rain, but less than a quarter of an inch of rain fell in parts of Kershaw and Orangeburg counties on Monday.

Credit: WLTX

RELATED: Heavy rains cause flash flooding on some roads in Columbia, Lexington County

This rain comes on the heels of an already wet July. On average, July is the wettest month of the year, but the Columbia Airport has already received more than a month's worth of rain in just the past 3 weeks. In Lexington County, towns like Pelion have reported over 9 inches of rain, much of this falling just in the past 48 hours. 

Credit: WLTX

A stationary front is draped across the southeast which has created a favorable environment for showers and storms to grow. Higher in the atmosphere, wind is pushing tropical moisture into the area giving an abundant pool of humidity for clouds to build off and create drenching downpours.

Credit: WLTX

Upper level winds have remained light. This has limited the risk for strong thunderstorms (along with the thick cloud cover), but the storms are slow moving sitting over some communities for hours and drenching parts of the Midlands with rain. 

Slow moving, drenching downpours will pop up again on Tuesday, this time toward the early afternoon hours. The best chance for soaking rain will be sometime between 1 pm and 7 pm with just lingering showers overnight. 

Credit: WLTX
Credit: WLTX

The stubborn stationary boundary providing lift for these storms will slowly begin to dissipate as it moves south overnight on Tuesday. Drier air will move into the Midlands bringing back blue skies with just scattered showers or storms by Wednesday evening, although clouds may be stubborn to break for the first half of the day in the southern Midlands.  

Credit: WLTX

RELATED: 'Turn around don't drown': Safety tips if the roads flood

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