First came the sun, now comes the rain.

Austin will go from a scorching 91-degree high on Tuesday to about 2 to 3 inches of heavy rain Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service issued a flash flood watch for 1 p.m. Thursday through 4 a.m. Friday.

NWS meteorologists predict a storm system will bring heavy rain to southern Minnesota and northern Iowa from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning. According to NWS meteorologist Sean Miller, the bulk of the rain should pass north of Austin.

“It is definitely looking like a good rainfall event for us,” he said.

Depending on how the storm shifts, Austin could either get heavy rain from the north or the chance for more severe weather from the south, which includes wind, hail and a chance for tornados.

Miller also said the rain could cause floods in the area.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation also urged drivers to be cautious if and when severe weather strikes. Flash flooding is difficult to predict, and MnDOT urged drivers to watch for warning cones and barrels that would indicate potential hazards. MnDOT  also urged drivers to not drive trough standing water, as even 6 inches of water will reach the bottom of many cars.

The storms should break by Friday afternoon.

Mower County’s forecast calls for a high of 69 degrees Friday with mostly cloudy weather, leading to partly sunny conditions on Saturday and a high of 71.

There’s also a chance for storms on Saturday night and into next week.

Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10 a.m. High near 68. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.

Thursday night: Showers and thunderstorms. New rainfall amounts between 2 and 3 inches possible.

Current river depths — Cedar: 4.5 feet. Turtle: 2.5 feet