NATCHEZ — Get out the rainboots and umbrellas,because up to half a foot of water may drench the area over the next few days as a weather system expected to bring flash floods moves into the area.

The National Weather Service says counties in Southwest Mississippi could see 4 to 8 inches of rain as a low-pressure system moves across the region from the Gulf Coast. Some locations could receive even higher amounts of rainfall, forecasters say.

“There is potential for the southwest corner of the state to see quite a bit of rain,” NWS meteorologist Chad Entremont said Wednesday. “Most of the rainfall will fall between Friday and Saturday.”

Rain could begin as early as Thursday and extend through Sunday, he said.

Daily rain chances of 70 percent or higher are forecast for Thursday through Sunday.

Entremont said that a big concern with this weather event would be the increased risk of flash flooding.

“Anytime an area receives more than 5 inches of rain in such a short period of time, it can have a big effect,” Entremont said. “At that rate, you could start having issues with roads becoming impassable or washed out.”

Entremont said even though the system isn’t a tropical storm, an unusually high amount of moisture in the air combined with the weak low-pressure system will create the potential for tropical-type rainfall.

“This is something we don’t see very often,” Entremont said.

Entremont said the cloud cover will give some much needed relief from the hot temperatures the area has been experiencing.

High temperatures are forecast to remain in the 80s from Thursday through Friday.