Soaking Rainfall Overnight, on Monday

An outbreak of widespread rain with thunderstorms, a few of them severe,will unfold eastward over the nation's mid-sector overnight through Sunday. Awide area from Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky south to the central Gulf Coastwill have widespread rainfall of at least 1/2 to 1 inch by the evening onMonday. Amounts of 1-2 inches will be common over Louisiana, Mississippi,Arkansas, western Tennessee and Kentucky and parts of Illinois and Missouri.Across middle Arkansas through western Tennessee, highest amounts will reach atleast 4 inches.

While overall impact of the rain will be beneficial, the heavy downpourswill trigger some urban flooding. In areas of highest rainfall, streams andeven rivers may flood. There will also be unwelcome delays in field work forthose parts of the Midwest, mostly over Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa,where the late winter and early spring has been unusually wet.