Tornado Warning 3, NWS Charleston, SC

988 
WWUS52 KCHS 290647
SVSCHS

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
247 AM EDT Sat Aug 29 2026

SCC013-290700-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-260829T0700Z/
Beaufort SC-
247 AM EDT Sat Aug 29 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM EDT FOR BEAUFORT
COUNTY...

At 247 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located just offshore of Fripp Island, moving northeast at 20
mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
         to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
  Fripp Island and Hunting Island.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

Tornadoes are difficult to observe at night. Take cover now!

&&

LAT...LON 3230 8053 3240 8042 3239 8040 3231 8043
      3230 8044 3230 8045 3229 8046 3227 8052
TIME...MOT...LOC 0638Z 225DEG 17KT 3226 8050

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

ST

468 
WWUS52 KCHS 290659
SVSCHS

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
259 AM EDT Sat Aug 29 2026

SCC013-290709-
/O.EXP.KCHS.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-260829T0700Z/
Beaufort SC-
259 AM EDT Sat Aug 29 2026

...TORNADO WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 3 AM EDT FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning is moving quickly away from
Fripp Island. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. A
large waterspout is likely occurring offshore and remains a threat to
mariners.

&&

LAT...LON 3230 8053 3240 8042 3239 8040 3231 8043
      3230 8044 3230 8045 3229 8046 3227 8052
TIME...MOT...LOC 0647Z 225DEG 17KT 3229 8047

$$

ST

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Charleston SC
157 AM EDT Sat Aug 29 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
All sections and Key Messages were updated.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
- 1) Unsettled weather will continue, with increasing chances
  of showers and thunderstorms this weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1: Unsettled weather will continue, with increasing
chances of showers and thunderstorms this weekend.

Today: The region will remain embedded within a large mid-level
weakness between a large subtropical ridge centered over New
Mexico and West Texas with a secondary ridge over the open
western Atlantic. Guidance shows a well pronounced conveyor of
mid-level vorticity streaming out of the northeastern Gulf
across Southeast Georgia, the South Carolina Lowcountry and
into the North Carolina Outer Banks. These impulses coupled
with a ribbon of deep moisture characterized by PWATs 2.0-2.3"
and some modest mixed-layer instability will support another
round of showers/tstms today. Initially, convection is expected
to develop along/just offshore of the lower South Carolina coast
prior to daybreak within a region of weak/modest convergence
associated with what appears to be a land breeze circulation.
This activity is poised to spread/redevelop farther north into
the Charleston Tri-County then translate ever slow slowly
inland through the morning hours with additional activity
possibly developing later this afternoon as temperatures rise
into the 80s. The various CAMS are having a hard time resolving
how much and where convection will concentrate later in the day
with some refocusing activity closer to I-95 while others are
keeping activity across the Lowcountry redeveloping closer to
the beaches and across Downtown Charleston. Suffice to say,
there is much uncertainty how much the atmosphere will recover
later this afternoon along the lower South Carolina coast with
morning convection likely overturning the atmosphere pretty well
there. For now, pops were limited to 50-70% across the region
with the highest pops clustered across the Charleston Tri-County
where confidence in morning convection is the highest.
Adjustments will likely be needed later as trends become
clearer.

Heavy rainfall with a potential for some localized flash
flooding will be the primary hazard today, especially where
convective training occurs. There could also be a brief
waterspout and/or tornado through late morning/early afternoon
across the coast where RAP and H3R soundings show low-level wind
fields veering with height atop the low-level east/northeast
flow. While the lack of stronger instability will likely be the
limiting factor for a higher localized tornado threat, it is
certainly something to watch out for, especially as convective
outflows and the sea breeze become better defined.

Tonight: Convection is expected wane fairly quickly this
evening. As inland areas cool and low-level winds back, a
corridor of modest convergence is forecast to develop along
mainly the lower South Carolina coast from roughly midnight
through daybreak Sunday. With such a warm and moist atmosphere
in place, it will not take much to initiate additional
showers/tstms during the early morning hours. There is a
potential for some convective training to occur within the
plume of PWATS >2" and the 29/00z HREF are showing some
elevated probabilities for >1"/3-hr in the vicinity of Downtown
Charleston. This will need to be monitored as a quick inch in
Downtown Charleston is known to cause flash flooding.

Sunday: There may be some lingering showers and thunderstorms
Sunday morning, though expect that activity to wane as
shortwaves aloft move northwards. Expect ridging to build
throughout the day, leading to afternoon highs back up in the
upper 80s to lower 90s across the region. Instability values
build to near 2000 J/kg, though the lack of flow aloft should
keep thunderstorms from getting well organized, thus keeping the
risk for strong-severe thunderstorms on the low end as the
expected sea-breeze likely sparks off a few showers and
thunderstorms. As has been the case, we will be watching for
locally heavy rainfall given the lack of flow aloft and
precipitable water values in excess of 2 inches.

Monday and Tuesday: Expect much of the same for Monday as
ridging aloft continues, and surface high pressure remains the
main surface feature. Tuesday into the work-week will likely see
lesser convective coverage as the center of the ridge axis
moves over the region, leading to slightly increased high
temperatures in the upper 80s to mid 90s. Dewpoint temperatures
currently look to remain in the mid 70s, keeping heat index
values below critical thresholds.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
29/06z TAFs:
KCHS/KJZI: Showers/tstms are expected to fire along the lower
South Carolina coast prior to daybreak. This activity will
likely make a run for both terminals, possibly yielding some
impacts. TEMPO groups for MVFR conditions in TSRA were
introduced 10-13z at KCHS and 09-12z at KJZI. Later this
afternoon, it is not clear how much the atmosphere will recover
but a number of models are indicating another round of
shower/tstms impacting the terminals. Given this uncertainty, a
PROB30 group for TSRA was introduced 19-22z to trend.

KSAV: A large area of low stratus is poised to settle into the
terminal through daybreak. Prevailing LIFR cigs are likely with
cigs possibly approaching airfield minimums. LIFR cigs will
slowly lift by mid-morning with VFR returning by 16z. Risk for
showers/tstms will increase by mid-afternoon. PROB30 19-22z for
TSRA was maintained to account for this activity.

Extended Aviation Outlook: Showers and thunderstorms will bring
brief flight restrictions into early next week, especially
during the afternoon hours.

&&

.MARINE...
Through Tonight: There will be a risk for waterspouts near the
coast later this morning. Otherwise, northerly winds with the
land breeze along the lower South Carolina coast will gradually
veer more onshore through the day as the sea breeze develops.
Onshore winds will linger through tonight with directions near
the beaches likely backing more east to northeast late. Speeds
will remain less than 15 kt through tonight with seas 1-3 ft.

Sunday through Wednesday: No large-scale marine concerns. Flow
will become increasingly onshore, though overall fairly weak,
strongest during the afternoon hours as the sea-breeze forms and
moves ashore.

&&

.CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...None.
SC...None.
MARINE...None.

&&