Coastal Low

Our weather through the rest of the week will be impacted by low pressure that is strengthening off the Carolina coast today. Already, our winds are picking up and look for windy conditions to continue into Thursday. Along the coast, gusts to 40 or 45mph will be possible this afternoon. Inland toward Raleigh and Fayetteville gusts to 30 to 35mph will be possible.

The low is developing along a stationary front and does not currently have tropical characteristics. However, as the low interacts with warm ocean waters off our coast, the National Hurricane Center now says there is some potential that the system could gain some tropical characteristics.

If that happens, the storm would become a subtropical storm or a tropical storm and would be named. Regardless of whether the storm is named or not, the impact to eastern and central North Carolina will be the same -- rainy and windy weather for Thursday. It will likely be cool as well as temperatures will not make it out of the low to mid 60s around the Triangle and the mid to upper 60s in the Sandhills. Coastal North Carolina will likely be warmer with temperatures in the 70s.

Heavy rains and strong winds may cause a few problems with some downed trees or powerlines especially closer to the coast where the winds will be the strongest. Coastal flooding and beach erosion may be an issue as well especially along the Crystal Coast and Outer Banks.

Follow the storm with the latest information by tuning in to our Weather on the Ones updates only on News 14 Carolina.