A Tornado Watch has been issued for a significant portion of Maryland, including Montgomery County, as a series of severe thunderstorms approaches the area late Monday morning.
The National Weather Service has released Tornado Watch 67, which is valid until 7 PM. This watch encompasses Montgomery County along with Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Frederick, Howard, Prince George’s, Washington, and several other counties throughout the state.
This watch indicates that conditions in the atmosphere are conducive to the formation of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms that may produce damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes.
Additionally, the National Weather Service in Sterling issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning at 10:57 AM for parts of Montgomery and Frederick counties in Maryland, as well as regions in northern Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
Meteorologists report that a line of severe storms, extending from near Inwood, West Virginia, to Warrenton, Virginia, is advancing northeast at about 55 mph. Radar data suggests these storms could generate wind gusts reaching up to 70 mph.
Areas in the path of the storm include Germantown, Gaithersburg, Frederick, Leesburg, Hagerstown, Ashburn, Herndon, Warrenton, Poolesville, and nearby communities.
The primary risk associated with these storms is damaging winds that could topple trees and large branches, potentially obstructing roadways and causing localized power outages. Officials also caution that unsecured outdoor items may become dangerous projectiles in strong winds.
Forecasters advise that tornadoes can develop rapidly within severe thunderstorm lines. Residents should stay vigilant and be ready to seek shelter in a basement or a small interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building if a tornado warning is issued.
The Tornado Watch will remain active until 7 PM as the potential for severe weather persists across the region throughout the afternoon and evening.
