Flood watch issued for parts of Massachusetts with torrential rain in the weather forecast Sunday

The WBZ-TV Weather Team is issuing a NEXT Weather Alert for a potentially tricky weather situation for Sunday, especially across Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts, where a flood watch is now in effect.

The main concern will be from roughly 7 a.m. through 5 p.m. Sunday, with the greatest potential for heavy rainfall between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

We're expecting periods of showers, along with a few embedded thunderstorms. Most locations should see rainfall totals in the 0.50–2 inch range, but the bigger concern is the potential for localized narrow bands of torrential rain.

If one of these heavier bands develops and stalls over an area, 2 to 4 inches of rain could fall within just 3 hours. That's enough to create localized flash flooding, particularly in vulnerable urban areas where drainage can quickly become overwhelmed.

Even though the overall setup isn't necessarily a widespread flooding event, a localized corridor of very heavy rain could cause problems quickly.

If you're heading out Sunday morning or early afternoon, remember to never drive through a flooded roadway; turn around and find another route.

For now, the focus is on the potential for localized flash flooding within an otherwise fairly wet Sunday, with the greatest concern during the late morning and early afternoon hours. After the line moves through, we'll actually end the day with some sunshine and much calmer conditions.