Heavy rain and a windstorm are expected to fall 5 to 10 centimeters in Connecticut, with the strongest rainfall expected overnight Thursday through Friday.
The National Meteorological Service said the heaviest rain would fall around 11 pm on Thursday to 11 am on Friday – more or less a few hours, pending any possible change in the storm.
Winds are expected to pass through the three-state area, causing possible damage to trees, power lines and property, the National Meteorological Service said. Winds are expected to reach Thursday night through Friday morning.
A strong wind alert – initially issued to the coastal counties of Connecticut, Middlesex, New London, Tolland and Windham – was expanded on Thursday to include the entire state.
Prior to the storm, United Illuminating issued a statement indicating that the utility is monitoring forecasts and making preparations for the storm. The company said it will have line and tree teams on standby to restore any outages that may occur overnight.
“While our hope is that this storm will pass without impact, the weather does not take a vacation and we are ready to serve our customers 365 days a year,” said a statement from UI President Frank Reynolds.
Eversource said it will deploy line and tree teams across the state to respond to any outages or damage caused by the storm.
“We recognize that the last thing anyone wants is another storm, especially at Christmas,” said a statement from Craig Hallstrom, president of regional electrical operations at Eversource. “We are taking all necessary steps now – including canceling employee vacations and working to protect out-of-state crews – therefore, our team is ready to respond to anything that this storm may bring. “
There is potential for coastal flooding between about 5 am and 10 am on Friday. The meteorological service said the storm would bring stormy conditions to coastal waters from Thursday evening to Friday morning, with the potential for small coastal floods.
Current forecasts indicate a predominantly cloudy Thursday, with a chance of rain starting sometime in the afternoon. The rain will continue into the night, falling heavily at times, the meteorological service said. Temperatures will be around 50 degrees, with an expected high of almost 60 degrees.
During Thursday’s day, gusts of wind can reach up to 30 mph along the coast. The meteorological service has indicated that gusts of wind should reach around 65 mph from Thursday night until Friday morning.
The forecast is that the rain will decrease before 1 pm on Christmas Day, with the possibility of showers in some areas after that. Temperatures are expected to drop to around 42 degrees in the late Friday afternoon, with a strong wind bringing gusts up to 40 mph.
There is a “small chance” of rain and snow on Friday night, before 9 pm, and a small chance of snow until midnight on Saturday. The temperature will drop to around 20 degrees, with thermal sensation values between 15 and 20 degrees.