Heavy Thunderstorms On the Way Tuesday: Georgia Weather Forecast

The Atlanta area could become a soggy, stormy mess Tuesday afternoon.

Forecasters are calling for rain, and the possibility of strong thunderstorms, starting at around noon and lasting until 10 p.m.

The National Weather Service says the areas most likely to be hit are south of a line running from Atlanta to Gainesville.

"Scattered to numerous thunderstorms" are predicted in that area.

"Some of these storms could be strong with gusty winds, frequent lightning and locally heavy rain," the weather service reports.

Winds could gust up to 40 mph, the report says.

Tuesday's forecast from the National Weather Service says showers and thunderstorms are most likely from 2-3 p.m.

It calls for a high of 88 degrees in the Atlanta area, with a 60 percent chance of precipitation.

New rainfall amounts are forecast to be between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, except in areas hit by thunderstorms, where rain amounts will be higher.

Tuesday night, the chance of showers and thunderstorms drops to 30 percent, mainly before 7 p.m. It will be partly cloudy, with a low around 71.