Friday Afternoon Storms Could Precede Irene's Arrival

Another tropical storm warning was issued for the area at 6:32 a.m. Friday as Hurricane Irene continues to roll toward the East Coast and the storm was

It's with lessened intensity than Thursday night, though.

 and Irene was downgraded overnight to a high-end category 2 hurricane but is expected to return to a category 3 storm again later Friday, according to The Weather Channel.

The National Weather Service also issued a flash flood watch for portions of the Washington Metropolitan area and southern Maryland.

Silver Spring Forecast

The NWS is forecasting slight chance of showers this afternoon, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. The skies may be mostly cloudy, with a high near 88 degrees. Into the evening, there may a chance of showers before 11 p.m. with mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70's.

Irene's Path

The center of the storm was about 660 miles south of Washington at 6 a.m. Friday, according to the NWS. That means it , or about 13.3 miles per hour according to those numbers.

Irene is expected to first make landfall on the East Cost late Saturday morning or early Saturday afternoon in North Carolina as a borderline category 2 or 3 hurricane, before heading north, reports The Weather Channel.

Preparedness

The expected wind speeds for the area could cause minor damage to older mobile homes, according to the NWS, and recommends moving loose items such as garbage cans and lawn furniture indoors. Newly planted or young trees and shrubs could be uprooted. Isolated power outages will be possible.

Tips for preparing for a hurricane are available on the FEMA website.