Tornado Watches Issued...

The first Tornado Watches are now being issued. The first covers generally middle Tennessee into northern Alabama and is valid until 3pm CST:

...and the second covers much of southern and central Illinois, western and central Indiana, southwest Kentucky and southeast Missouri.  It is valid until 6pm CST:

Tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds are likely in both of these areas.  The latter watch contains the enhanced wording "This Is A Particularly Dangerous Situation..." with the possibility of destructive tornadoes.

For additional details on watches in your area, check the Storm Prediction Center page here.

Folks across the entire region should be on a high state of alert today.  Have a sheltering plan in mind and be ready to take immediate action if threatening weather approaches your area.

Another thing to keep in mind today is that storms will be moving very fast.  The general motion of most of the storms will be to the East/Northeast at 55-60 mph - and some could move even faster.  This means your reaction time will have to be very quick.  If a warning is issued for your area, seek shelter immediately.  This isn't a situation where you'll have time to evaluate the situation much further before taking action...

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