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Most of the Roanoke-Chowan area is under a Tropical Storm Warning as an area of low pressure continues to strengthen off the coast.

Bertie, Gates, and Hertford counties are part of the warning area, which is confined to the coastal part of the state.

All local counties, to include Northampton – which is only under a Flood Watch as of Friday morning – will experience deteriorating weather conditions as the day progresses.

The forecast from the National Weather Service calls for rainfall amounts between three and six inches within the warning area. There could be areas receiving more than six inches of rain.

Flooding from heavy rainfall may prompt evacuations and rescues, particularly in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Driving conditions become hazardous. Some road and bridge closures are expected.

Meanwhile, the wind speed will increase as the day progresses on Friday, eventually reaching 15-to-25 mph with gusts around 40 mph. The wind may cause unsecured lightweight objects to be blown about as well as snapping tree limbs. A few trees may be uprooted, especially if soils are saturated. Caution is advised if traveling as a few roads may be impassable from debris.

Scattered power and communications outages are possible.

There is also the possibility of tornadoes within a tropical system. If a tornado warning is issued, be ready to shelter quickly.

The heaviest wind and rain is expected Friday night into the daytime hours on Saturday. Sunday’s forecast calls for clearing skies with a high temperature of 74 degrees.