DC weather: Flood Watch Thursday as severe storms threaten

WASHINGTON - Severe weather is expected to return to the Washington, D.C., region Thursday, with a Flood Watch in place and scattered strong storms developing by mid to late afternoon. 

Skies were cloudy early, with temperatures in the mid‑ to upper‑70s and a few showers around the area to start the day. Conditions stay mostly dry through the morning, though an isolated shower or stray thunderstorm could still pop up.

FOX 5’s Taylor Grenda says temperatures climb toward the upper 80s to near 90 degrees later in the day, along with higher humidity. Showers may break out and continue on and off through midday, but the main severe weather threat holds off until after 2 p.m. Storms could impact the evening commute and linger through sunset.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch from 2 p.m. through Thursday evening for Washington, D.C., parts of Maryland and northern Virginia. Flash flooding is possible as excessive runoff may overwhelm rivers, creeks, streams and other flood‑prone areas.

The Weather Service says a cluster of strong to severe thunderstorms is likely to move across the region this afternoon and evening. Rainfall rates could reach 2 to 3 inches per hour, with even higher bursts possible. Urban areas along I‑95 and locations hit hard by recent rainfall are most vulnerable.

Another round of thunderstorms is possible Friday afternoon with temperatures near 90 degrees.

The weekend starts unsettled, but Sunday looks much better as humidity drops across the region.

Thursday Severe Weather Timeline

After 2 p.m.

• Showers and possibly a thunderstorm develop.

Before 8 p.m.

• Evening showers and thunderstorms taper off.

After 8 p.m.

• Remaining showers end as temperatures fall toward 72.