MIDCOAST — With the weather so bright and beautiful this past week, the specter of rain was easy to ignore. But, forecasters are calling for heavy rain tonight, after midnight, and into the morning hours, with amounts of 1 to 2 inches anticipated.

The National Weather Service in Gray said high pressure will head off the east, allowing a cold front to arrive the west. Newly named Tropical Storm Erin will pull in from the south.

“As this moisture collides with the cold front expect a period of heavy rainfall tonight especially on the coastal plain,” said the NWS. “High pressure builds in briefly behind the cold front for Thursday with another frontal boundary ushering in cooler and drier air Friday night and lasting through the weekend.”