A flood watch is in effect for parts of southeast Michigan as forecasters say heavy rains could happen at times because of a slow moving band of showers and embedded thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service in White Lake Township.
The watch is in effect until 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, for Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw and St. Clair counties, the weather service said in posts on its Facebook page. There could be flooding in urban areas or spots with poor drainage, and street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers is possible, according to the weather service.
It said 1 to 2 inches of rain within two to three hours are likely, with the possibility of locally higher amounts. Rainfall could be higher to the south
and east in areas such as Adrian, Monroe, Detroit and Port Huron, according to a map with the posts.
A flood advisory also is in effect until 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, in Lenawee and Monroe counties, where there could be minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. The weather service said 1 to 1.5 inches of rain have fallen, with pockets closer to 2 inches, and additional 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected over the area, according to its website.
A small craft advisory is in effect for all nearshore waters. That's in place from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, for Saginaw Bay, from noon Sunday, Aug. 2, to 4 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3, from Port Austin to Port Huron and Lake St. Clair, and until 4 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3, for western Lake Erie, according to the weather service.
There is a beach hazards statement from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, for Huron County.
The weather service forecast northeast winds sustained at 15 to 20 knots, with gusts of 25 to 30 knots, and waves of 3 to 5 feet, with maximum waves to 7 feet. It recommends that people stay out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions and that inexperienced mariners, especially those in small vessels, avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.
Sara Schultz, a meteorologist on duty with the weather service, said Shiawassee County received quite a bit of rain, with 1.5 to 2 inches reported.
The upcoming forecast is sunny for the first two days of the week with warmer temperatures ranging from 76 to 82 degrees Monday, Aug. 3, and 81 to 87 degrees Tuesday, Aug. 4, the weather service predicts.
Schultz said both of these days and into Wednesday, Aug. 5, are expected to be dry, with forecasters not seeing any rain chances until Wednesday night into Thursday, Aug. 6. The weather should dry out Friday, Aug. 7, with slight chances for rain next weekend, she said.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Flood watch for southeast Michigan as heavy rains possible
