Severe weather forecast to blast the Midlands again. Here’s when it will return

Powerful thunderstorms are forecast to affect the Midlands for a third consecutive day, according to the National Weather Service.

More damaging winds are expected after strong gusts ripped through the Columbia area Saturday night and again Sunday, National Weather Service meteorologists said in a Monday morning briefing. The previous storms caused downed branches, trees and utility poles across the Midlands, leading to treacherous driving conditions and thousands of power outages, according to officials.

While more of the same is possible Monday, so is the slight chance of tornadoes as storms move through the Southeast U.S., according to the National Weather Service.

Isolated but strong storms are expected to begin after noon, according to the briefing. More widespread, and possibly even more severe, storms will develop after 3 p.m. and could continuing into the night, the National Weather Service said.

Severe weather is forecast for Midlands region of South Carolina.

Damaging winds are expected during the multiple rounds of Monday’s strong storms, according to the briefing.

Powerful winds and tornadoes could cause considerable damage to trees and branches, in addition to mobile homes, roofs and outbuildings. Vehicles would also be under siege in the case of a tornado.

Damage to trees and branches creates the possibility of more downed power lines and further power outages after electricity had been mostly restored to customers across South Carolina by Monday morning.

Some hail is also possible across the region, and is another severe weather threat, the National Weather Service said.

Rain and severe weather are forecast for Midlands region of South Carolina.

More rain is predicted for the Midlands on Monday than the amounts that accumulated in the previous two days’ storms.

Up to an inch of rain is possible in Columbia, according to the briefing. That prediction is consistent across most of the Midlands, save for the southern portion, closer to the CSRA and the state line between South Carolina and Georgia, where greater amounts are possible, according to the briefing.

Localized amounts could be higher, especially during thunderstorms.

Monday’s accumulation on top of the weekend rainfall creates the slight risk for flash flooding, according to meteorologists.

“While the storms should be moving quickly, some nuisance flash flooding is possible across the entire area with widespread heavy rain,” the National Weather Service said in the briefing.

No warnings, watches or advisories have been issued for any part of the Midlands on Monday, but that is subject to change as the storms get closer.

The chance of more rain persists throughout the rest of the week — except for Wednesday — through next weekend, according to the current long-range forecast. Although rain chances will linger the rest of the week, the likelihood of more severe weather will decrease, according to the National Weather Service.

Conditions will also be hot, as temperatures are forecast to reach highs around 90 most days. The heat index will register closer to 100 by next weekend.