Flood concerns may dampen drought.
Hide caption Water levels rose on the Monatiquot River on Tuesday, April 4, ahead of another rainstorm, which is expected for Thursday.
[Wicked Local Photo/ Bradford Randall] brandall@wickedlocal.com This week’s rain comes on the heels of several systems that have dumped more than two inches of rain on Braintree in April, according to forecasters.
Strong winds may also be a concern Thursday, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour expected.
“During the course of the mid- to late afternoon, a swath of heavy rain will move through, into the night and should be diminishing before about midnight.
The rain will continue to take a bite out of a drought, which has plagued New England for over a year.
As of the beginning of April, less than 15 percent of the state remained classified as suffering a “severe drought,” with more than 60 percent of the state suffering those conditions three months ago.
In total, Braintree has been drenched with more than two inches of rain in the early days of April, which is more than an inch and a half above normal for the month, the weather service reports.
Gages on the river, monitored by the USGS, had the river cresting at almost four feet on Monday and Tuesday.
Media partner WCVB contributed to this report.