Heavy rains and thunderstorms swept through the Twin Cities on Friday morning, bringing strong winds and isolated flooding.

The National Weather Service said that more than 2 inches of rain has fallen at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport since Thursday, and forecasters say more scattered storms are expected through the day.

The weather service lifted a flood warning for areas of Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Washington and Anoka counties shortly after 8 a.m.

Looking ahead, there is rain in the Twin Cities forecast through Saturday night, accompanied by eruptions of thunder, according to the weather service. Forecasters say that up to three inches of precipitation could fall by the end of Saturday.

While the rain is welcome in a state with drought conditions have been relentless this summer, the timing for fans of the State Fair is most unfortunate.

Friday will be the second soggy day out of two for the 2021 fair.

On average, it rains about three to four days during the fair's 12-day run, the NWS says. The wettest fair was in 1977, with 9.48 inches of rain, and the driest was 2003, with only .02 inch of rain, according to weather service records.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482