An Atlantic weather system was upgraded Saturday to Tropical Storm Bonnie and began to pelt coastal South Carolina with heavy rain as it neared. Bonnie appeared to stall later in the day.
The National Hurricane Center earlier issued a tropical storm warning for the state’s coastline. Maximum sustained winds stood at about 40 miles per hour.
“A little strengthening is possible tonight, with gradual weakening forecast on Sunday,” the center said.
At 8 p.m. ET Saturday, Bonnie was 125 miles southeast of Charleston.
The system comes as tourists hit the beaches for Memorial Day weekend.
It was unclear exactly when Bonnie would make landfall, but Sunday looked likely, said CNN meteorologist Jennifer Varian.
The primary impact will be 1 to 3 inches of rain, with higher amounts from eastern South Carolina through southeastern North Carolina. The tropical storm warning extended from the Savannah River to Little River Inlet.
CNN’s Ralph Ellis and Phil Gast contributed to this report.