Slow-moving Bonnie to bring rain

Published 7:35 pm Saturday, May 28, 2016

Tropical Storm Bonnie is likely to put a damper on Memorial Day celebrations from Virginia to the Carolinas this weekend.

“What we are expecting is quite a bit of shower activity Sunday and Monday,” said National Weather Service Wakefield meteorologist Lyle Alexander.

Bonnie became a named storm Saturday afternoon, but “it’s a very minimal tropical storm,” Alexander said. “We’re not going to be looking at any wind issues here in the Hampton Roads area.”

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On Saturday, the storm’s maximum sustained winds were near 40 miles per hour, with higher gusts. Some additional strengthening was expected before landfall.

It was expected to hit the South Carolina coast Sunday morning, weaken and turn to meander up the coast throughout the coming week.

“It’s going to move very slowly,” he said.

The rain is “mostly from a moist flow that the tropical storm is going to be helping to bring into our area,” Alexander said. “Then we’re going to stat getting some drier air into our area. Most of the rain will be when the system is still in South Carolina.”