Severe weather alerts have been issued for numerous Counties in Northeast Ohio, according to the National Weather Service.
The following counties are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 11 p.m.:
- Holmes County
- Stark County
- Mahoning County
- Richland County
- Ashland County
- Wayne County
There's also a Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for the following counties:
- Geauga County
- Trumbull County
- Portage County
SUNDAY FORECAST:
A big chunk of your Sunday will be fantastic! Plan for a mixture of sun and clouds and incredibly warm temperatures in the 70s for most of us, but some locations could be flirting or even touch 80 degrees!
It will also be breezy this afternoon with southwesterly winds of 10 to 20 mph and gusting over 30 mph. The strongest winds will be earlier in the day, with a decrease in intensity by this evening.
It also looks as though we will stay dry for the first part of the afternoon. However, as a cold front slides through Northeast Ohio combined with the fuel from the warm temperatures, showers and storms will begin to develop by the late afternoon/early evening.
The window of time we are expecting storms to develop will be between 4 and 7 p.m.
A cap is in place over our heads, which can prevent the development of storms. However, storms will quickly develop and spread across more of the area once the cap breaks. Once storms develop, they are expected to move south along the cold front. That means the best chance to see showers and thunderstorms will occur in our southern communities. This is also where we have the best opportunity for strong to severe storms. Storms look to fade around midnight or so.
Scroll through the images of Futurecast to get an idea about the timing and development of the showers and thunderstorms.
The Storm Prediction Center has issued a risk for severe weather for much of Northeast Ohio. The likelihood of storms becoming strong or severe quickly ramps up as you move south and east. For example, Cleveland only has a general thunderstorm risk. The area in dark green is a level one out of five, which is known as a marginal risk. Meanwhile, the area in yellow is a level two out of five, known as a slight risk for severe weather, and the area in orange is a level three out of five and known as an enhanced risk for severe weather. This means the best opportunity for severe weather will be in orange and yellow.
All modes of severe weather are on the table today, but the main concerns will be damaging straight-line winds and large hail, potentially 1-2 inches in diameter. Isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out, and since it has been so rainy, heavy rain could possibly lead to flash flooding.
Of course, any storm can contain lightning and lightning makes storms dangerous. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Listen for thunder this afternoon; when thunder roars, get indoors!
Stay weather-aware. The Power of 5 weather team will monitor the radar this evening and keep you posted on the risk of severe weather.
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