Rain prompts flash flood watch in the Coachella Valley

There will be scattered thunderstorms and a chance of flash flooding in the Coachella Valley and Riverside County mountains today, meteorologists said.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for the Coachella Valley and Riverside County mountains from 11 a.m. through this evening, saying just three-tenths of an inch of rainfall in 30 minutes would be enough to cause flash flooding in areas recently denuded by wildfire.

“Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation,” noted an NWS advisory. “You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action.”