MIDCOAST —  Southerly winds may gust up to 60 miles per hour this evening, and the Midcoast is under a flood watch and a high wind warning with today's extensive and wet storm. The National Weather Service has said the most damaging winds will be along the Midcoast.

With that, the power may go out. Central Maine Power said earlier this week that it was prestaging line and tree crews across the service area. Extensive tree damage is anticipated.

CMP Outage Alerts are automatically sent to cell phone numbers or emails associated with accounts, unless a customer has opted out of that service.

Managing preferences is done via My Account.

• Download our Mobile App from the App Store or Google Play. You can report an outage, see your estimated restoration time, and access Outage Lists and Maps. If you text APP to 267898, CMP send you a downloadable link to the app. 
• You can also view CMP's Storm Safety Checklist and Storm Information for additional steps you can take to prepare. If you have a generator, review generator safety information to ensure you're operating it safely.

Safety reminders if you lose power:

• Stay away from downed lines. No line is safe to touch, EVER. 
• Turn off or unplug major appliances and sensitive electronics.
• Never use ranges or outdoor stoves to heat your home.

If you need shelter or food, reach out to 211 for available resources.

The forecast is calling for continued heavy downpours along with fierce southerly winds along the coast. The combination of warm temperatures, rainfall, and winds will lead to much of the snow from the coast to the foothills melting out completely.

After midnight a cold front will cross the region and temperatures return to more typical December readings.

High pressure will return and last into the weekend.

With the arrival of the convective rainfall, winds are anticipated to pick up with breezy conditions expected everywhere with damaging winds likely along the Midcoast. Winds will peak tonight before moving out the region by tomorrow morning.