MD Weather: Flood Watch, Severe Storm Watch Posted In 22 Jurisdictions

Updated at 5:35 p.m.

MARYLAND — Most of Maryland is under a severe thunderstorm watch and a flood watch Thursday with the threat of severe thunderstorms dumping up to 4 inches of rain in some areas, the National Weather Service said.

The city of Baltimore and 21 counties are under the thunderstorm watch: Cecil, Baltimore, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Charles, St. Marys, Calvert, Montgomery, Howard, Harford, Caroline, Carroll, Dorchester, Frederick, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester counties are included.

A flood watch has been issued for most of the region through 8 p.m. Thursday.

Runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.

Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are likely into the evening as a cold front
approaches from the west. Some areas could see rainfall rates up to 1 to 3 inches per hour with any stronger thunderstorms, with localized rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches possible, the National Weather Service said.

Cities in the flood watch include: Bowie, Annapolis, Odenton, Silver Spring, Bethesda, College Park, Reisterstown, Columbia, Severna Park, Greenbelt, Germantown, Rockville, Jarrettsville, Arnold, Suitland-Silver Hill, Gaithersburg, Severn, Baltimore, Clinton, Glen Burnie, Ellicott City, Cockeysville, Laurel, and Aberdeen.

"Severe thunderstorms are possible with the main threat being the potential for damaging wind gusts," the National Weather Service tweeted. "Multiple rounds of storms are expected. The greatest risk will be this afternoon/evening."

Thunderstorms set to rumble through the mid-Atlantic Thursday will not only trim the heat but could also bring severe weather, AccuWeather meteorologists said.

"Heavy, gusty and locally severe storms capable of producing hail and damaging wind gusts will tend to focus on the mid-Atlantic region from parts of North Carolina to much of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware to southeastern Pennsylvania and central and southern New Jersey," the weather site said.

Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., could all experience strong to severe storms Thursday, potentially disrupting the Thursday evening commute around those metros.

Here's the latest forecast from the National Weather Service:

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 2pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 87. West wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 11pm. Low around 65. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 6 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.