ABOVE: The latest forecast update from the Severe Weather Center 9. To stay up to date on changing weather conditions, be sure to download our free WSOC-TV weather app.

Warnings:

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FORECAST:

• Rain will continue in the mountains and will become heavier in the metropolis during the morning. In the afternoon, it will rain steadily in most areas.

• By 11 a.m. Thursday, areas from western Mecklenburg County to the west had already received 2 inches of rain.

• The greatest risk of flooding remains in the mountains, where several centimetres of water have already fallen since yesterday. In the metropolis, minor flooding of rivers and streams is likely during the afternoon as more rain spreads.

• Temperatures are expected to only rise to 25 to 25 degrees due to the rain. The worst weather will be from midnight to 7 a.m. and tomorrow morning until 9 a.m.

• Very heavy rains and strong winds will cause further flooding and fallen trees, especially in the western mountains. However, we expect only between two and three inches of rainfall in the metropolis, but in the high elevations the amounts could exceed 10 to 15 inches.

• Catastrophic flooding with landslides is possible where the heaviest rains fall. Currently, this risk is highest in western North Carolina, just outside our region.

• However, similar problems could occur in the northern mountains. Winds will also increase, with gusts over 40 miles per hour in the city and over 50 miles per hour in the mountains.

• This could result in downed trees and power outages. We will also be watching for brief periods of turbulence with a low risk of tornadoes.

• Helene will move northwest on Friday morning through late morning and our weather will improve quickly. River flooding will remain a problem over the weekend.

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