Heavy rain and severe weather for Maryland Tuesday.

A TORNADO WATCH is in effect for most of the state (except Allegany and Garrett Counties) through 7 p.m. There have already been a few severe thunderstorm warnings issued with strong thunderstorms early Tuesday afternoon. As we move through the day, there will likely be more warnings for severe thunderstorms in addition to flash flooding.

A cold front is moving our way from the Midwest. It is directing another storm up from the South. That storm has a lot of rain with it already, and is holding together as it moves into the Mid-Atlantic. As the two storms merge over us Tuesday, they will bring areas of heavy rain in addition to creating a spin in the atmosphere. So as thunderstorms fire, that spin may be enough to spark isolated tornadoes. Outside of tornadoes, there is a lot of wind energy between these two storms, creating a high risk for damaging winds in any thunderstorm.

There is also the threat for flooding rain. A strong southerly wind is piling water up along the coasts of the Bay, particularly the west coast. High tides will be running at least 2 feet above average through Wednesday morning. Even inland, locally heavy rain is prompting flash flood warnings. We really do need the rain, since our deficit for the month is -.91″ this month and -6.29″ for the year – we just don’t need to much at once.

The combined storms will move away overnight, taking the stormy weather with them. Other than some leftover rain along the Eastern Shore Wednesday morning, Wednesday will feature drier air returning to Maryland. Expect a mix of clouds and sunshine, along with a gusty wind at times.

It’s not warming up all that much today, but we are cooling right back down again starting Wednesday. Highs will only top out in the low 70s. It will be another beautiful stretch of weather into the weekend, when another front comes swinging through. There is the chance for some thunderstorms or a little rain with it later Saturday into Sunday. Temperatures will climb back up to near 80 ahead of the front, then drop right back down to the low 70s again with overnight lows in the 40s behind it.

Stay tuned to WJZ and WJZ.com for the latest warnings as we move through the day.