Flash flood watch issued for central NC

The watch for Wake, Durham, Orange, Cumberland, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Nash, Person, Sampson, Vance, Warren, Wayne and Wilson counties expires at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

An area of low pressure sitting along a cold front in southeast North Carolina promises rain and much cooler temperatures for Monday and moderating warmth for the rest of the week.

The cool down began Sunday across central North Carolina, bringing showers to areas of the Sandhills. Erwin saw more than 2 inches of rain in the 24 hours that ended at 6 a.m. Monday, while Fayetteville saw 1 inch and Goldsboro 1.1 inch.

In the Triangle, Sunday was overcast, gusty and humid but dry. Only 0.15 inch of rain was recorded at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport from 6 a.m. Sunday through 6 a.m. Monday. That will change for later Monday, when rainfall will be more widespread, WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said.

"There's plenty of moisture streaming up from the south," Gardner said. "Chances (for rain) may go down a little bit late this afternoon and this evening, but we still have a pretty good chance of rain for the majority of the day."

The dreary conditions will keep temperatures well below normal and almost 20 degrees cooler than in recent days. The forecast high is only 72.

Monday will see little variance from overnight lows in the mid-60s to the daytime high in the mid-70s.

After the rain moves out, the heat returns, pushing temperatures into the mid- and even high 80s before the week is out.