Forecasters issue flash flood watch for southern, central Arizona

The National Weather Service has issued a flash-flood watch for much of Arizona – including Maricopa County – because of a northward-moving storm system that’s predicted to unleash heavy rains today and Tuesday.

A flash flood watch has been issued for the East County valleys, mountains and deserts Monday because of the possibility of heavy rain and thunderstorms from a late summer storm. Malia is expected to continue it’s northbound track without presenting a threat to the main Hawaiian Islands. Isolated areas around Phoenix may still see one inch or more of rainfall before it ends later Tuesday.

Locales in and below recently burned areas will be particularly susceptible to heavy runoff and debris flows should strong thunderstorms develop nearby. The chance of rain is 70 percent, the Weather Service said. The area is under a flash flood warning, so commuters should be aware of sitting water on roadways and hazardous driving conditions. “Residents and motorists living or traveling in the flood prone areas should concern themselves with the flood potential”.

Triple-digit high temperatures of this weekend in Metro Phoenix are expected to dip into the mid and upper 80s both Monday and Tuesday, before drier and warmer weather returns for the middle and end of the week.

Rain showers and thunderstorms will increase throughout the day in the Flagstaff region as a second storm system moves across northern Arizona before ending by midnight. There is a 10 percent chance of showers before 11 a.m., but the sun is expected to break through after that.