Flooding threat from heavy rains in Philly, NJ, Del. – NBC10 Philadelphia

The heat is taking a break, but with cooler temperatures comes the chance of torrential rain over the weekend.

NBC10’s First Alert Weather Team has issued a First Alert warning for the entire day Friday and into Saturday night for the risk of flash flooding caused by rising river and stream levels in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania suburbs, the South Jersey suburbs and northern Delaware.

The front that passed through our area on Thursday and gave us wonderful weather is gradually returning on Friday. It is attracting a lot of moist air, which has already brought showers and thunderstorms during the morning.

There are fears that we may be in for several such slow-moving storms that could bring significant rainfall over the next few days.

Most areas can expect 1 to 2 inches of rain, but major problems arise from “practice storms” where one thunderstorm follows another. In some areas, these can dump 3 to 4 inches of rain or more. This type of intense rain can cause flash flooding, so we have issued an initial warning due to the risk of flash flooding.

Additionally, the heavy rain could put our rivers and streams to the test and could also cause flooding. With all the moisture heading our way over the next 36 hours, it’s especially important to keep an eye on the weather and check current weather information before you head out.

Be sure to be prepared for rising water. Remember the saying, “Turn around, don’t drown.” As a general rule, do not attempt to drive or walk through flood water, as it may sweep you away or be deeper than expected.

Be sure to download the latest version of the NBC10 app to ensure you receive weather alerts sent directly to your device, and check back with NBC10 on air and streaming regularly for up-to-date weather information.