An influx of moisture from Dora will continue the chance for heavy downpours into the weekend.

By Bill Deger, Meteorologist

Jul 21, 2011; 6:55 AM ET

“Increased incidents of flash flooding and strong winds from a few thunderstorms is likely.”

Abundant tropical moisture, thanks in part to Major Hurricane Dora, will help to trigger more drenching showers and storms across the Southwest over the next few days.

Dora, continuing to strengthen as it churns northwestward off the coast of western Mexico, will send rich tropical moisture northward through Mexico and into the Southwest by the weekend.

Showers and storms from monsoonal moisture has been no rarity over the Southwest and Four Corners region the past few weeks, as it typically is this time of year.

On Wednesday, two minor league baseball games, one being played in Tucson, Ariz., and the other in Albuquerque, N.M., had to be postponed from thunderstorms that sent “sheets of water” onto the playing fields.

The moisture influx from Dora will only act to intensify both the rain and the coverage of the showers and storms Friday and through the weekend.

Increased incidents of flash flooding and strong winds from a few thunderstorms is likely. The strong winds, often crashing to the Earth’s surface as a “downburst,” can send a wall of dry sand and dust out in all directions in a phenomena known as a haboob.

Several large haboobs have already been observed so far this summer, most noticeably in Phoenix on July 5th.

The increased flow of moisture will be welcomed by those still fighting massive wildfires across the dry landscape, while baseball fans will continue to shun the heavy rain (at least during games).