Heavy rain moves into metro Atlanta ahead of evening commute

ATLANTA FORECAST

Thursday: High: 83

Thursday night: Low: 71

Friday: High: 83

» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.

[5:16 p.m.]: The severe thunderstorm warnings for Gwinnett, Jasper, Newton and Rockdale counties all expired at 5:15 p.m., the NWS said. The severe thunderstorm warnings for Walton and Madison were extended until 5:45 p.m., and several northeast Georgia counties also had severe thunderstorm warnings issued until 5:45 p.m.

[5:11 p.m.]: The severe thunderstorm warnings for DeKalb, Henry and Butts counties were cancelled, the NWS said. The severe thunderstorm warnings for Gwinnett, Jasper, Morgan, Newton, Rockdale and Walton counties continue until 5:15 p.m.

UPDATE [4:35 p.m.]: Severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued for DeKalb, Gwinnett, Henry, Jasper, Butts, Morgan, Newton, Rockdale and Walton counties until 5:15 p.m. by the National Weather Service.

ORIGINAL STORY: A wave of heavy rain is moving through metro Atlanta, and it's expected to complicate the evening commute.

“Heavy rain moving over the Downtown Connector right now into Buckhead and Midtown,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Katie Walls said.

According to Walls, the showers will become “more numerous and widespread as we head into the afternoon and evening commute.”

And strong to damaging winds may accompany the wet weather, Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said.

There is still a danger of flash flooding in northwest Georgia, where up to 5 inches of rain have already fallen over the last several days. A flash flood watch remains in effect for parts of Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Pickens, Polk, Towns, Union, Walker and Whitfield counties, according to the National Weather Service.

The watch expires at 8 p.m. Thursday, when northwest Georgia will begin to dry out, Walls said. An additional 1 to 2 inches is expected to fall before the front moves into central Georgia.

“In the metro (area) I’m anticipating less than 1-inch additional rainfall,” she said.

Schools in Chattooga and Walker counties were on a two-hour delay Thursday morning due to the flood risk, Channel 2 reported.

“Most of Friday, the emphasis is going to be shifting more to the south into central Georgia for tomorrow’s activity, but there could be that isolated shower or pop-up storm for the afternoon,” Minton said.

By the weekend, North Georgia should be much drier with only an isolated chance of a shower on Sunday.

Temperatures should stick to the lower 80s through the end of the week, but Minton said cooler morning temps are on their way next week.

“It does get a little bit cooler,” she said. “I’m finding some mid-60s into Tuesday, Wednesday of next week. And that’s not for highs. Those are for lows, but it certainly will feel a lot better with your high temperatures in the lower 80s.”