The National Weather Service issued a Flood Advisory for Santa Barbara County areas Wednesday afternoon, and warned that there could be thunderstorms later in the day.

The advisory will be in effect through 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Clouds had dropped less than 1 inch of rain on the county as of 2:30 p.m., but there were chances of thunderstorms bringing heavier downpours to the region, the NWS said.

Radar showed moderate to heavy showers in the county, and minor flooding is expected, according to the NWS.

Santa Barbara marked 0.51 inches in the 24-hour period ending at 2:30 p.m., and about half of that was in the last hour.

Other South Coast areas had between a quarter and half an inch of rain from this storm system, while North County communities had lower totals, according to county monitoring stations.

“Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms will spread eastward across the region this afternoon and evening, as a potent weather system advances across southern California” the NWS said in a special weather statement. Doppler Radar indicates rotation with this activity, capable of producing waterspouts over the coastal waters.

“The most intense activity will spread across the Santa Barbara County Central Coast through 3 p.m., across the Santa Barbara County South Coast and Ventura Coast 2 p.m. through 6 p.m., and across the Los Angeles County Coast 3 p.m. through 8 p.m.,

“The most intense activity will be capable of producing wind gusts to 55 mph, small hail, dangerous lightning, and heavy downpours. While highly uncertain, there is a small possibility for one or two tornadoes to occur with this activity, along with damaging straight-line winds.”

The rain is expected to end late Wednesday with a sunny skies returning Thursday and into the weekend.

A High Surf Advisory is in effect at local beaches through 8 a.m. Friday.

Check the Santa Barbara forecast from the NWS here.

Click here for real-time rainfall totals.