Tropical Storm Danny nearing landfall along South Carolina coast

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tropical Storm Danny got slightly stronger Monday afternoon as it nears landfall along the South Carolina coast. Once it makes its way inland, it’s expected isolated heavy rainfall to the Southeast region.

As of late Monday afternoon, the storm had sustained winds at 45 mph, slightly stronger than the 40 mile an hour winds it had earlier. It was moving west-northwest at 16 mph.

It was only hours earlier that the storm had become a tropical depression. Danny is the fourth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.

Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for parts of the South Carolina coast. The warnings are in effect for Edisto Beach to the South Santee River. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next 12 hours.

Danny could produce 1 to 3″ of rain with locally higher amounts along the immediate coasts of Georgia and southern South Carolina.

Swells produced by the storm are forecast to affect parts of the palmetto state. The swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.

The tropical system will help increase the moisture across the state, including the Midlands, especially the southern and eastern Midlands.

Severe weather is not expected, but heavy, tropical downpours will be possible.

As the tropical system continues to move west, the chances for rain will decrease tonight, but a few showers will be possible overnight though. Lows will be in the lower 70s Tuesday morning.

Typical summer-like weather is expected Wednesday and Thursday. Highs will be in the lower 90s. There will be a chance for a few showers and storms both days.

A front will approach the area by the end of the workweek. The rain chances will increase Friday and Saturday. Showers and storms will be likely Saturday, but some slightly drier air may move into the Midlands for the July the 4th holiday.

Elsewhere in the Tropics:

An area of low pressure associated with a tropical wave is producing a small cluster of showers and thunderstorms over the central tropical Atlantic Ocean. 

Some slow development is possible through the end of the week while this system moves quickly westward to west-northwestward at about 20 mph, likely reaching the Lesser Antilles Wednesday night.