Developing Tropical Storm To Impact Long Island This Weekend

UPDATE: Tropical Storm Fay Likely To Make Landfall Near Long Island

LONG ISLAND, NY — An area of low pressure off the North Carolina coast is expected to develop into a tropical storm as the weekend nears and Long Island is in for a good soaking.

There is increasing potential for moderate to heavy rainfall Friday into Saturday on the island as a coastal system moves up the mid-Atlantic coast, the National Weather Service says, adding that while the exact timing and track of the storm are still uncertain, the system has the potential to produce at least 1 to 2 inches of rain, with higher amounts possible.

Rain is likely to begin after sunrise Friday and it could last 24 hours straight.

"Right along the coast, from Long Island to Cape Cod, winds could gust between 35 and 50 mph as the storm makes its closest approach," says Matthew Cappucci, a meteorologist with the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang.

The forecast has the rain letting up or stopping Saturday afternoon, but showers and thunderstorms threaten the entire weekend. There's a 20-30 percent chance of rain all day on Sunday, according to the hour-by-hour forecast.

The latest forecast:

Wednesday Night- Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday- Partly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind 6 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night- A 20 percent chance of showers after 2am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 73. Southeast wind 3 to 7 mph.

Friday- Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 83. East wind 9 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night- Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 72. East wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday- Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then showers likely between noon and 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. High near 85. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday Night- A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.

Sunday- A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

Sunday Night- Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.