Month's worth of rain in parts of N.S. this past weekend; Tropical Storm Francine develops in the Gulf of Mexico

A fall leaf and rain drops are seen through a vehicle's sunroof Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

It was a soggy weekend for parts of the Maritimes as a low-pressure system packing tropical moisture moved into the region.

Weekend rain totals

As expected, some of the highest rain total reports came from the Atlantic coastal side of Nova Scotia. A bullseye of 100 to 112 mm reports along a line from Chelsea, Queens County to Hammonds Plains, Halifax County. Interesting to note that 100 mm is about the average rain total for the month of September for that area of Nova Scotia.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Prince Edward Island had a general 17 to 27 mm of rain, while parts of southern and eastern New Brunswick saw 25 to 50 mm. Much lower rain totals in western New Brunswick, in some cases ranging only a few to several millimetres.

Weekend rain totals per government weather stations and volunteers of CoCoRaHS Canada.

Tropical Storm Francine

An area of thunderstorms being monitored in the Gulf of Mexico rapidly intensified into a tropical storm over the weekend.

Tropical Storm Francine is forecast to move north through the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen, approaching coastal Louisiana on Wednesday as a Category 1 hurricane.

Hurricane and tropical storm watches are in effect for coastal areas of that state. A tropical storm watch for the coastal area of Texas starting just west of Houston and extending to the border of Louisiana.

Tropical Storm Francine is forecast to gain hurricane strength before making landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday.

Category 1 hurricanes can tip unanchored structures, snap or uproot weak trees, cause light damage to roofing materials, and create power outages that can last several days. They also come with water hazards such as a risk of storm surge on the coast and flooding inland rain.

Francine is expected to dissipate in the southeastern United States with not much of a chance that even some of the remnant moisture from the system will move towards the Maritimes.