Tornado Watch Issued For 12 MD Counties: Weather Service

BALTIMORE, MD — Twelve Maryland counties are under a tornado watch Monday afternoon and likely to be buffeted by strong winds that could cause power outages as gusts reach 55 miles per hour. The National Weather Service said that damaging winds, large hail, and an increased threat for tornadoes are possible, especially through mid-afternoon. Localized flooding is also possible.

A tornado warning was issued shortly after noon for northeastern Howard and southwestern Baltimore counties, along with northwestern Baltimore city.

At 12:17 p.m. a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Ellicott City, or near Historic Ellicott City, moving northeast at 40 mph, the weather service said.

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and the weather service let the warning expire at 12:31 p.m.

A tornado watch is in effect until 6 p.m. Monday for Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties among a dozen counties, plus the city of Baltimore.

A high wind warning is in effect Monday for for Calvert, St. Mary's, Charles, Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. For the rest of the area, a wind advisory is in effect.

A storm warning is in effect for the mid-Chesapeake Bay and lower and mid-tidal Potomac. A gale warning is in effect for the northern Chesapeake Bay and upper Tidal Potomac River.

A coastal flood warning is in effect for southeast Harford, southern Baltimore, and Anne Arundel counties Monday and this evening. Moderate tidal flooding is expected around high tide.

The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang expects storms to be scattered around the middle of the day and afternoon. "The coverage and intensity of these storms is somewhat dependent on whether skies clear out some during the break in the rain," the Capital Weather Gang forecasters state.

The areas under the hazardous weather outlook are: Columbia plus all or parts of Baltimore, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Charles, St. Marys, Calvert and southeast Harford counties.

The wind advisory includes all or parts of Carroll, Baltimore, Montgomery, Howard, and Harford counties, along with. Eldersburg, Westminster, Reisterstown, Cockeysville, Baltimore, Germantown, Damascus, Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Lisbon, Columbia, Ellicott City, Jarrettsville an Aberdeen.

A wind advisory is in effect for the region until 6 p.m. Monday. The National Weather Service says gusty winds can cause trees to fall, as the ground is saturated from rain. Forecasters expect 20 to 30 mph winds with gusts around 50 to 55 mph.

The National Weather Service's Baltimore-Washington office provides the latest advisories, watches and warnings at www.weather.gov/lwx.

The forecast for Monday calls forhowers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 5 p.m., then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds. High near 77. Breezy, with a southwest wind 21 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Monday night look for mostly clear skies, with a low around 44. Northwest wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Tuesday will be partly sunny, but much cooler with a high near 57.