Could more rain hit Texas soon? The National Weather Service (NWS) says Tropical Storm Bertha could affect some major local cities on the evening of Thursday, July 23.

As of 7 a.m., forecasters said the system was about 70 miles southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. It is continuing on a westbound path across the northern Gulf of Mexico and is expected to approach the Texas coast early this afternoon or this evening. 

The South Central Texas region, which includes San Antonio and Austin, could feel the effects of Bertha’s moisture or remnants. There is a 20% to 50% chance of showers, and the NWS says wind gusts could reach up to 35 mph, though this is more likely in the Coastal Plains.

San Antonio in particular is looking at a 30% chance of storms hitting between 10 p.m. on Thursday and 4 a.m. on Friday, per the agency’s seven-day forecast. Ideally, it will bring a cool down to the area. A heat advisory remains in effect through 8 p.m. on Thursday for all of South Central Texas. Temperature highs range from the upper 90s to 100 and 101 along the I-35 corridor.

The San Antonio area “could get a glancing chance of some spotty tropical downpours, perhaps a storm or two, for locations mainly along and south of the I-10 and US Highway 90 corridor,” the agency wrote in its forecast discussion. However, flash flooding is not a concern at this time. Texans should continue monitoring the weather, as conditions can change quickly. 

“Rainfall amounts within our region are quite meager, generally of around a quarter-inch or less,” the NWS said.

Meanwhile, those in Corpus Christi and Brownsville face the highest risk of receiving the most rain due to Tropical Storm Bertha. Currently, there’s a 30% chance of thunderstorms, mainly after 5 p.m. That number rises to 70% just before 1 a.m. on Friday, July 24. Forecasters say the rain could be heavy. 

It “may lead to isolated flash flooding, tropical storm conditions, and coastal flooding along the Gulf Coast and into southern Texas,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says.

The agency’s Corpus Christi office says it expects one to three inches of rain south of a line from Victoria to Laredo tonight. Some smaller areas could see even more, and the NWS warns of a moderate risk of rip currents along Gulf-facing beaches.

A NOAA-issued Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect along the Gulf Coast from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Sargent, Texas.