The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a Flash Flood Watch in anticipation of heavy rain beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 22 through 11 p.m. Saturday, July 24.

The weather service is forecasting a 40 percent chance of rain for Fountain Hills Thursday evening increasing to a 60 percent chance on Friday. The chance of rain for Saturday in the area is 70 percent. The chance of monsoon rain continues into next week.

The forecast is calling for rainfall amounts up to a half-inch on Friday and as much as a quarter-inch on Saturday.

The thunderstorm that hit Fountain Hills late Wednesday left varying amounts of rainfall monitored by the Maricopa County Flood Control District ALERT stations in town. As much as .71-inch was received at Hesperus Dam near Grassland Drive and Sunridge Dam on the golf course off Palisades Blvd.

Fountain Hills Fire Department station #1 collected .35-inch. There was about one-half-inch in the rain gauge on the Cloudburst Wash station near Adero Canyon Trailhead.

Motorists are advised to avoid travel through flooded washes across streets in Fountain Hills during storms.