Bethesda residents heading out on the afternoon of Wednesday, Aug. 5, face a renewed flooding risk after heavy predawn rain already saturated the ground across Montgomery County.

Strong thunderstorms are possible after 5 p.m., according to Bethesda Magazine, citing 7News First Alert Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson. Some storms could produce heavy downpours capable of flooding low-lying roads and poor-drainage areas.

"Never attempt to drive through a flooded roadway," Johnson said.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for central and southeast Montgomery County from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday as a warm front pushed higher humidity back into the region. NWS Baltimore-Washington posted the alert Tuesday evening on X, warning that heavy rainfall could produce flash flooding, especially in urban areas. Montgomery County's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security confirmed the watch the same evening.

Rain from the overnight hours diminished before noon, but breaks in the clouds Wednesday afternoon could destabilize the atmosphere, opening the second storm window.

This is the third flood-related weather alert for Bethesda in roughly two weeks. On Sunday, Aug. 2, parts of the D.C. metro area received more than a month's worth of rain in under six hours, according to NBC4 Washington's coverage of the Aug. 2 storms. The region's average rainfall for all of August is 3.25 inches.

Rest of the week

The storm pattern does not end Wednesday. A stalled weather front will keep rain and severe storm chances in the forecast through the weekend.

Thursday, Aug. 6, will be partly cloudy and hotter, with highs between 89 and 93 degrees. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible by evening, and the stalled system moving offshore could increase the risk for severe storms.

Friday, Aug. 7, brings another hot and humid day with highs in the upper 80s to mid-90s. Pop-up afternoon thunderstorms are again possible, with some capable of producing heavy rain, frequent lightning and gusty winds.

Johnson advised drivers to allow extra travel time and avoid any standing water on roadways.