tropical storm warning: Tropical storm Chantal forms off South Carolina coast in US: When will it make landfall?

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said a tropical depression has formed off the Southeast U.S. coast on July 4, as a tropical storm watch has been issued for portions of the South Carolina coastline. The NHC said the Atlantic depression had strengthened into tropical storm Chantal and was expected to move across the coast of South Carolina on Sunday morning.

The tropical storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour), according to the NHC, is located about 150 miles (241 kilometers) south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. The NHC said a broad area of low pressure off the Southeastern coast has officially been designated Tropical Depression Three, which could produce flooding rains along the Carolinas during the next few days.

According to Fox Weather report, the tropical storm is expected to undergo a little more strengthening through the day Saturday. The storm is then expected to make a landfall on the northern South Carolina coast sometime Sunday morning.

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Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect from South Santee River, South Carolina to Cape Fear, North Carolina. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from Edisto Beach to South Santee River, South Carolina. The system is expected to bring 1 to 2 feet of storm surge in areas of onshore winds. Additionally, rough surf and rip currents will continue to plague much of the Carolina coastline through the holiday weekend.

Tropical storm warning in US

A tropical depression and the heavy rains accompanying it could lead to flash flooding across South Carolina and other parts of the coastal Southeast this weekend, forecasters warned.

The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1. If it forms, Tropical Storm Chantal will be the third named storm of the season. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain to South Carolina through the weekend. Forecasters expect it to become a tropical storm on Saturday. The system is expected to bring very heavy rainfall and gusty winds to parts of the Southeast, including coastal areas of North and South Carolina.

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Tropical storm Chantal

Tropical Storm Warnings are currently in effect from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Cape Fear, North Carolina. Meanwhile, a Tropical Storm Watch has been issued from Edisto Beach to South Santee River in South Carolina. Storm-force winds are expected to reach the warning zones by Saturday evening and continue into Sunday morning, while the watch areas may see wind gusts up to 40 mph later on Saturday, as per Fox News.

The National Hurricane Center also warns of heavy rainfall across the coastal plains of the Carolinas through Monday. Most areas can expect 2 to 4 inches of rain, with isolated locations potentially receiving as much as 6 inches.

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Chantal will even bring a minor storm surge to parts of the Carolina coasts.

“The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” the NHC said.

Storm surge levels may reach 1 to 3 feet in areas under a Tropical Storm Warning, and around 1 to 2 feet in regions under a watch.

In addition to flooding, dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents are expected along beaches in Chantal’s path, posing a serious risk to swimmers and coastal residents.