Tornado threat follows Nate’s remnants. Thunderstorms expected in Rock Hill area

The remnants of Hurricane Nate spread heavy rain and severe thunderstorms across the western Carolinas on Sunday, and forecasters said unsettled weather will continue into the middle of the coming week.

As the center of what was once a hurricane raced northward across Tennessee on Sunday, bands of tropical showers and thunderstorms spread across the western Carolinas. Several of the thunderstorms triggered tornado warnings from the National Weather Service, due to rotation in the storms.

Most of the storms were well west of the Rock Hill area through late afternoon.

No confirmed tornadoes had been reported as of Sunday evening, but National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Kimball said he expected the tornado threat would continue into the late-night hours Sunday.

Kimball said Nate’s remnants also were causing heavy rainfall in the foothills and mountains, and several flood warnings were issued during the day Sunday.

It was much quieter across the Rock Hill area during the daytime hours Sunday, with only a bit of drizzle reported in the morning. Forecasters expected several bands of showers and thunderstorms, some of them heavy, to move into the Piedmont later Sunday and even into the early-morning hours Monday.

Nate’s remnants are expected to move well north and northeast of the Carolinas on Monday, but plenty of tropical moisture will be left behind. As a result, a high chance of showers and thunderstorms will continue into Wednesday.

The moisture was obvious Sunday, with dew point temperatures – a measure of humidity – hovering in the steamy mid 70s. The combination of temperatures in the low 80s and high humidity created a heat index that was above 90 degrees at times Sunday afternoon.

The high humidity is expected to continue through Wednesday.

Forecasters said a couple of disturbances will stream northward from the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and Tuesday, setting off periods of precipitation.

Harry Gerapetritis, of the National Weather Service office in Greer, said one particular stormy period could come Tuesday afternoon. “Severe thunderstorms are quite possible,” he said.

Precipitation chances are expected to diminish by midweek, and drier conditions are forecast by next weekend. Daily high temperatures will remain above average, however, reaching the upper 70s and lower 80s.

This story was originally published October 8, 2017 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Tornado threat follows Nate’s remnants. Thunderstorms expected in Rock Hill area ."