Atlanta weather | Tornado watch issued through 5 a.m.

Metro Atlanta faces threats of flooding rainfall, large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes Thursday evening into Friday morning.

A tornado watch was issued shortly after 9 p.m. and a flash flood watch took effect at 6 p.m., Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said.

The most severe weather is expected to hit Atlanta overnight, Nitz said.

Strong storms bringing heavy rainfall, lightning, large hail and damaging wind could reach Atlanta by 10 p.m., bringing the threat of isolated tornadoes, Nitz said, but the most likely severe weather risk in Atlanta is flooding.

The flash flood watch that began at 6 p.m. will last through Friday evening for Atlanta, Griffin, Carrollton, Eatonton and other surrounding cities. The tornado watch expires at 5 a.m.

Metro Atlanta could get an added 2 to 3 inches of rainfall Friday, and some areas could get up to 4 inches.

Despite the rain though, temperatures were 69 degrees in Atlanta, 61 degrees in Blairsville and 68 degrees in Griffin just after 9 p.m.

The pollen count, which could drop after showers pass through, increased over the past couple days to 2,347 particles of pollen per cubic meter of air Thursday.

That's down from the current season high of 4,107 particles Tuesday and still falls under last year's season high was 6,152 particles on April 9.

» Check the full forecast and track changes