After a cloudy and rainy day today, we could see stronger storms developing heading into the night. Some storms may have enough rotation to spawn an isolated tornado. However, the biggest storm threat will be damaging wind gusts over 60 mph. We could also see hail over 3/4" in some thunderstorms.
There is still some uncertainty on how the storms will evolve this evening. There's a chance the cloud cover we see through the day keeps the instability low enough tonight where storms do not turn severe. However, the low level jet (south/southeast winds) could become strong enough to create rotation in a few storms, as a cold front draws closer to southeast Michigan overnight. The strengthening wind shear will at least bring the chance of gusty winds, frequent lightning and heavy rain tonight.
The overall risk of tornadoes is still low, but there is a slightly higher chance of rotating storms from Ann Arbor to Detroit and to the south; across northern Indiana and Ohio, than areas to the north.
TIMING:
Strong storms are possible from 7pm to 2am.
POTENTIAL IMPACTS:
- Damaging wind gusts 60+mph
- Weak isolated tornadoes
- Hail 3/4" or greater
- Frequent lightning
- Heavy rain
HOW TO PREPARE:
- Keep phones and tablets charged
- Unplug electronics that do not have a surge protector
- Have a kit with batteries ready in case the power goes out
We will keep you updated on Channel 7, on our WXYZ Facebook page, and through our WXYZ app.
