Another round of severe summer weather pummeled Maryland on Wednesday night, bringing torrential rains, tornado warnings and relentless lightning.

Flash flood warnings stretched across the region. Lightning strikes ignited fires. A tree crashed onto a car, downed power lines and blocked a Montgomery County road. And forecasters warned the chaos wasn’t over, with more storms in the forecast and temperatures set to soar into dangerous territory Thursday, prompting an extreme heat alert in Baltimore.

Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties remained under flood watch from 5 p.m. Wednesday throughout the evening, the Baltimore/Washington field office of the National Weather Service said.

A flash flood warning in Cecil County was extended to 1 a.m. Thursday.

The National Weather Service put Baltimore and Carroll counties under a tornado warning until 9 p.m. Wednesday.

NWS said 1-3 inches of rain could fall per hour due to showers and thunderstorms.

As the storms rolled through the region Wednesday, a tree fell on a vehicle in Kensington, igniting a fire, downing power lines and blocking a road, officials said. Montgomery County Fire & Rescue crews responded.

Lightning strikes to homes and buildings in Montgomery County led to fires.

Officials also issued a hazardous weather outlook for the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, Interstate 95 corridor and Tidal Potomac River Wednesday ahead of potential flooding.

Temperatures Wednesday lingered from 80-95 degrees with a heat index value as high as 103.

So far, 23 inches of rain have showered the Baltimore region, compared to 22 inches around this time last year, Luis Rosa, an NWS meteorologist said. Rainfall this month, though, has been higher than normal, Rosa added.

Baltimore typically sees 2 inches of rainfall in July, Rosa said, and the area has already gotten nearly twice that amount just halfway through the month. And there’s no sign of the precipitation letting up. NWS forecasts showers and thunderstorms through next Tuesday.

Wednesday’s extreme weather follows Monday’s storms, when a heavy downpour across the Baltimore region flooded areas and put the city at a level 3 of 4 for “a moderate risk” of excessive rainfall.

The month began with downed power lines, transit suspensions and delays, and a church fire caused by a lightning strike amid flash flooding and heavy rain.

Extreme heat alert issued for Baltimore

Ahead of high temperatures and a heat index predicted to reach 105 degrees, the Baltimore City Health Department declared a Code Red Extreme Heat Alert for Thursday.

Mary Beth Haller, the city’s interim commissioner of health, urged residents, including those who are older, children, first responders, front-line workers or with preexisting health conditions, to hydrate, avoid strenuous activity and stay in shaded or air-conditioned spaces.

The following cooling centers will be available Thursday:

• Beans & Bread: 400 S. Bond St., 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Brooklyn Homes: 4140 10th St., 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Cherry Hill Homes: 2700 Spelman Rd., 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Franciscan Center: 101 W. 23rd St., 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Harford Senior Center: 4920 Harford Rd., 9 a.m. -7 p.m.
• Hatton Senior Center: 2825 Fait Ave., 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Manna House: 435 E. 25th St., 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• My Sister’s Place Women’s Center: 17 W. Franklin St., 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• Oliver Senior Center: 1700 N. Gay St., 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Sandtown-Winchester Senior Center: 1601 Baker St., 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• ShopRite of Howard Park: 4601 Liberty Heights Ave., 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Weinberg Housing Resource Center: 620 Falls Way, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Zeta Senior Center: 4501 Reisterstown Rd., 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Zion Lutheran Church: 400 E. Lexington St., 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

All Baltimore City pools will operate on a code red schedule Thursday, according to the city’s department of recreation and parks. That means all public pools will be open from noon to 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“During these extremely hot days, we urge all employees and residents to take this alert seriously. Pay close attention to the weather, listen to your body, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said in a news release. “Whether it’s checking in on neighbors, staying indoors during the hottest part of the day, or using our cooling centers, we all play a part in helping everyone remain as safe as possible.”

Baltimore Banner reporter Alexander Taylor contributed to this story.