The National Weather Service has extended the tornado watch for the Outer Banks to 1 a.m. Friday as a strong cold front approaches.
“A strong cold front will sweep through overnight tonight, bringing strong winds, the threat for severe thunderstorms and heavy rains, and coastal flooding to eastern North Carolina. Very dangerous marine conditions will also occur,” said Tom Lonka, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Newport.
A tornado watch for areas north of the Albemarle Sound remains in effect until 7 p.m. Severe thunderstorms have been cross from Chowan to Currituck counties during the late afternoon.
The wind advisory is in effect from 10 p.m. tonight to 5 p.m. Friday, with sustained southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 50 mph expected on the northern Outer Banks and 30 to 40 mph sustained winds and gusts up to 55 mph for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
A coastal flood advisory is in effect from 7 p.m. tonight to 1 a.m. Saturday, with 1 to 2 feet of inundation above ground level expected in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways along the Albemarle, Croatan, and Roanoke sounds, Kitty Hawk Bay, and adjacent tidal creeks.
A high surf advisory and coastal flooding advisory has been issued for Hatteras Island, where large breaking waves of 7 to 10 feet are expected in the surf zone. One to two feet of inundation above ground level is also expected for areas adjacent to the Pamlico Sound.
The recent southerly flow that has brought milder weather the last several days has also pushed up water levels along the sounds, which could reach 2 feet above normal by Friday north of Hatteras.
Wave heights on the sounds are also expected to run from 3 to 4 feet, with seas of between 15 to 20 feet offshore, and a gale watch has been posted for the coastal waters.
Low water levels may occur on the Neuse River, and eventually possibly the Pamlico River due to the long duration of strong southwesterly to westerly winds.
National Weather Service forecast for Nags Head:
Today: Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. High near 66. Breezy, with a south wind 14 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds and heavy rain. Low around 56. Windy, with a south wind 20 to 30 mph becoming west 9 to 14 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Friday: A chance of showers, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Windy, with a south wind 21 to 29 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Breezy, with a west wind 18 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Northwest wind 7 to 15 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
