Tropical Depression 3 forms near the Southeast

The National Hurricane Center has officially labeled the disturbance located northeast of Florida as Tropical Depression Three. This tropical system is likely to intensify and become Tropical Storm Chantal on Saturday.

Tropical storm watches have been put in effect by the National Hurricane Center along the South Carolina coast. These tropical storm watches are likely to be upgraded to tropical storm warnings on Friday night as the system continues to move north at about 2 mph. The system will not remain over water for too long, and its brief travel over water will minimize its intensification.

Chantal is expected to make landfall near Charleston, South Carolina, late on Saturday night or shortly after midnight on Sunday. Maximum sustained winds are likely to be at 40 mph as the storm comes ashore.

Our WeatherRadar depicts heavy rainfall moving into South Carolina and North Carolina for the next four days. Rainfall totals will range between 2 and 4 inches across parts of South Carolina, and heavier amounts are likely to impact North Carolina as the system moves more inland, pulling in moisture from the Atlantic over parts of North Carolina and Virginia. In these areas, rainfall could exceed 7 inches. Flash floods are possible as this system moves over the area.

This is not a system that will bring strong winds, but there could be gusts exceeding 40 mph along the South Carolina and North Carolina coasts as the storm approaches. Our WindRadar depicts wind gusts above 50 mph at times.