UPDATE: Weather Service extends coastal flood advisory into Wednesday

The National Weather Service in Morehead City, N.C., has extended its coastal flood advisory for areas from Cape Lookout north, including Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

The Weather Service said in a statement that an east swell combined with gusty northeast winds and a very high astronomical tide — during a full moon — will cause water levels to rise and lead to a threat of minor coastal flooding and ocean overwash along the coast before and after the time of high tide, which is between 8 and 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

A high surf advisory is also in effect from 4 a.m. until noon.

A small craft advisory is in effect for area waters until midnight on Thursday for winds of 15 to 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots and seas peaking tonight at 8 to 11 feet.

There will also be a high threat of rip currents along area beaches on Wednesday, especially a few hours either side of low tide, which is between 2 and 3 p.m.

The forecast calls for cloudy and breezy conditions tonight with east winds at 20 to 25 mph.  The low will be around 67 degrees with a 90 percent chance of rain.

A warm front will cross the area tonight into tomorrow with temperatures climbing into the mid-70s and the wind switching to the south and then southwest at 15 to 20 mph.  Precipitation chances are 90 percent on Wednesday and 80 percent Wednesday night.

The breezy, rainy weather will clear out early Thursday with the passage of a cold front.  The high on Thursday will again be in the mid-70s, dropping into the mid-60s for a high on Friday.  A 20 percent chance of rain on Thursday morning will be followed in the afternoon by partly sunny skies.

For more information on the forecasts and updated advisories, go to www.weather.gov/mhx.