C172 PLT ENCOUNTERS IMC WHILE FLYING VFR WHILE TRYING TO NAV THROUGH CELLS.

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BEAUMONT ASKED ME TO ADVISE THEM IF I NEEDED TO DSND ANY LOWER THAN 2500 FT TO MAINTAIN VFR; PRESUMABLY DUE TO ANOTHER AFT THAT WAS INBOUND FOR BEAUMONT. WHEN I ADVISED THAT I NEEDED LOWER; I WAS TURNED 20 DEGS L; WHICH PLACED ME BTWN 2 STORM CELLS. I FLEW BTWN THE 2 CELLS AT APPROX 1700 FT; ONLY TO REALIZE THERE WAS ANOTHER CELL AHEAD OF ME. I ATTEMPTED TO TURN AROUND AND FLY AWAY FROM THE CELL AHEAD OF ME BUT IN DOING SO; I FLEW RIGHT INTO IMC. INITIALLY; I MAINTAINED HDG AND ALT BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER; I WAS MET WITH TURB AND HVY RAIN; MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED BEAUMONT THAT I WA IN IMC AND NEEDED A HDG. ADDITIONALLY; I BEGAN TO CLB IN THE EVENT THERE WERE TWRS OR OTHER OBSTACLES IN THE AREA. BEAUMONT GAVE ME A HDG BUT I WAS UNABLE TO TURN TO THAT HDG DUE TO TURB AND RAIN. MY OBJECTIVE WAS TO SIMPLY FLY THE PLANE AND MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT. I ADVISED BEAUMONT OF THIS AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD BE OUT OF THOSE CONDITIONS IN APPROX 5 MI. HDG AND EVENTUALLY RETURNED TO VMC; AT WHICH TIME I PROCEEDED TO T78 IN LIBERTY; TX; TO WAIT OUT OTHER WX IN THE HOUSTON AREA.