After multiple days of record-setting heat and a persisting drought, a storm system that moved into the Pee Dee and coastal regions of South Carolina on Friday was not expected to have a major impact on climate conditions.
Shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday, the National Weather Service's Charleston office detected a series of strong thunderstorms moving across the area. Winds of 45 to 55 mph were expected along with penny-sized hail, the Weather Service stated. Rain fell in downtown Charleston shortly after 5 p.m.
"Some people will get some relief. Some will get rain, but certainly not all and probably not most," said meteorologist Mike Emlaw of the National Weather Service office in Charleston.
Strong wind and heavy rain fell in Charleston, Mount Pleasant and surrounding areas, but the impact was brief with conditions clearing after less than an hour. Downed trees were reported, including on Mathis Ferry Road near Mount Pleasant's I'On neighborhood and on St. Margaret Street in downtown Charleston's Wagener Terrace.
Attendees and competitors at the U.S. Women's Open gold tournament at the Country Club of Charleston witnessed lightning strike a tree. No injuries were reported.
Despite Friday's rain, weather in the Charleston area will most likely continue to stay dry. The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center shows drought in the Charleston area persisting.
Data for May from the Weather Service's Charleston office shows that just 1.39 inches of rain fell through Thursday, far short of the 3.02 inches seen in a normal May.
"There's nothing we see at all that suggests a widespread rainfall," Emlaw said of Friday's storm system.
Temperatures typically range from the low 80s at the beginning of May and climb to around 86 degrees by the end of the month, but this month has featured 12 days out of 31 with temperatures of at least 90 degrees, according to the Weather Service.
Sunday through Wednesday saw temperatures of at least 100 degrees, according to the Weather Service. Temperature records were broken on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Friday saw the standing temperature record of 98 degrees tied.
Temperatures over the weekend and into early next week are expected to taper off slightly, with the forecast calling for a high of 91 on Saturday, 92 on Sunday, 89 on Monday and 83 on Tuesday, according to the Weather Service.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week could bring a limited chance of rain but little impact on South Carolina's ongoing drought is expected in the near future, said Ron Morales, a meteorologist at the Weather Service's Charleston office.
Earlier in May, state officials designated 15 counties — including all of the coast except Horry, as well as Savannah River counties — as being in an "incipient" drought stage. That means conditions are so dry that it could well lead to drought.
Climate prediction models for June, July and August call for above-normal temperatures and no clear signal on whether precipitation will be above normal, below normal or normal, Morales said.
