RUMFORD – Maine’s wet weather is about to get wetter and wilder come Sunday, say weather forecasters in Gray.

That’s when likely the remnant of Hurricane Charley is expected to roll into town, following on the heels of Tropical Storm Bonnie’s remnants.

Meteorologist Jim Donahue with the National Weather Service in Gray said Friday afternoon that, “Bonnie is gonna rain on us tonight, but Charley is gonna bite us on Sunday with an inch or two more.”

Flood watches for most of Maine remained in place Friday afternoon, as Bonnie slogged into New England.

But the weather service posted flash flood warnings for northern New Hampshire and northern Maine through noon today. Mainers could expect a short-lived reprieve from the rain Saturday, Donahue said.

“Charley will be near central New Hampshire Sunday morning, so Sunday in Maine’s gonna be a washout,” Donahue said.

Prior to Bonnie’s arrival, Mainers wakened on Friday the 13th to learn that between half an inch of rain and nearly 3 inches had fallen in a 24-hour span since 7 a.m. Thursday.

In northern Oxford County, a weather observer at the Aziscohos Lake dam in Lincoln Plantation recorded 0.56 of an inch; in Cumberland County, Gorham got socked with 2.94 inches.

By 5:45 p.m. Friday, the weather service had issued a special weather statement, warning of a band of thunderstorms and showers from Bonnie. Heavy rain was expected through the mountains of western Maine, while small hail and wind gusting to 40 mph were possibilities.

The storms were expected to produce between 1 and 2 inches of rain in less than an hour in places like Upton and Rangeley.

“This could result in sharp rises on small creeks and streams, as well as localized flooding of low-lying areas,” the special statement said.

Between Roxbury, Rumford and Mexico early Friday afternoon, the Swift River raged toward the Androscoggin River.

Forecasters warned that Bonnie’s rain would be enough to push small waterways over their banks.

PULLOUT BOX:

Precipitation in inches that fell between 7 a.m. Thursday and 9:27 a.m. Friday –

Andover: 1.97

Augusta: 2.61

Bethel: 1.85

Brunswick: 1.82

Farmington: 2.41

Fryeburg: 1.70

Gorham: 2.94

Gray: 2.40

Hartford: 2.51

Kingfield: 1.17

Livermore Falls: 1.62

Lovell: 2.01

Phillips: 2.10

Portland: 2.66

Rangeley: 1.23

Rumford: 1.27

Turner: 2.21

Wilton: 2.10

SOURCE: National Weather Service, Gray