Charlotte under Tropical Storm Warning as Ian set to bring heavy rain, strong winds

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - We’re gearing up for local impacts from Tropical Storm Ian, which is already bringing clouds and windy conditions our way.

• Today: Dry, increasing clouds & windy
• First Alert Weather Day Friday & Saturday: Heavy rain & tropical storm force winds
• Sunday: Not as wet, lingering showers

Clouds from the outer bands of Ian have already moved across the region this morning. For today, expect mostly cloudy skies with high temperatures near 70 degrees with dry conditions. Winds will pick up today with gusts near 30 mph at times!

Rain will move in as early as Friday morning and become heavy throughout the day into Saturday. Winds will be strong gusting between 40-50 mph. Flash flooding along with downed trees/power lines are the primary concerns as of now. Tie down any loose outdoor furniture and bring them indoors! Temperatures will remain chilly with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s.

Lingering clouds and showers are anticipated for Saturday but it does not appear to be as wet as Friday with breaks. Rain chances will continue into Sunday. High temperatures will be cool in the upper 60s.

Ian is a strong tropical storm now moving off Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center has Ian strengthening into a category 1 hurricane as it makes another landfall on the South Carolina coast Friday afternoon. The track of Ian has sped up which means we will feel stronger impacts in terms of wind with gusts upwards of 45 mph. Rain will move in early Friday morning becoming heavy throughout the evening and overnight hours. Accumulations will range from 3-6′'. With the speed of Ian increasing, we could see some improvement in our weather for the second half of the day Saturday. A Tropical Storm Warning has been added for Charlotte and surrounding cities until further notice!

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Stay weather aware!

- Meteorologist Bekah Birdsall

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