DANVILLE, Va. – No watches or warnings had been issued for the Danville area as of Tuesday afternoon, but the National Weather Service says the remnants of Hurricane Ida — which is now a tropical depression — could bring heavy rain and high winds to the region Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The greatest risk will occur around daybreak.

Forecasters say there is a possibility that the winds could spawn tornadoes and are also cautioning local residents of the potential for heavy downpours.

A statement from the National Weather Service said “the heaviest rainfall should occur generally along and west of a line from Wilkesboro to Martinsville to Lynchburg tonight and Wednesday. In addition, spiral rain bands preceding and following the more solid core rainfall area may produce brief tornadoes. This would most likely occur late this evening through the early morning hours of Wednesday into the mid/late Wednesday morning hours. The greatest threat for tornadoes tonight and early Wednesday will be near and east of the Blue Ridge, with the most significant threat for such to be in the Southside Virginia area, southern Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia, as well as the Virginia and North Carolina Piedmont.” Gusty winds of 25-30 mph are also possible overnight.

Lightning from a thunderstorm Monday night left about 27,000 Danville Utilities customers in the dark for several hours. A bolt of lightning struck a transmission delivery point around 8 p.m., triggering outages at several substations. A city spokesman said most customers were back online before midnight.

The storms Monday night caught forecasters by surprise and had not been predicted.

Photo: Homes are flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Lafitte, La. The weather died down shortly before dawn. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)