DC, MD, VA weather: Tornado watches, thunderstorm warnings issued across region

After a record-breaking warm day in the DC region, a Tornado Watch has been issued for parts of Northern Virginia toward the Baltimore area.

Severe weather

After a dry first half of Wednesday with a mix of clouds and some sunshine, a strong cold front approaching from the west will bring the threat of late-day thunderstorms, especially between 3 and 7 p.m.

Storms are not guaranteed everywhere, but any that develop could produce:

• Gusty winds
• Heavy downpours
• Frequent lightning
• An isolated tornado

The same storm system produced severe weather, including tornadoes, in parts of Indiana and eastern Illinois on Tuesday.

Tornado watches

A Tornado Watch has been issued for parts of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Tornado Watch issued until 8 p.m. for the following counties:

• Loudoun
• Frederick
• Montgomery County
• Baltimore
• Carroll
• Howard
• Montgomery
• Baltimore City

Thunderstorm warnings

Thunderstorm warnings have been issued for several parts of the region, according to the national Weather Service.

So far, this includes:

• Leesburg, Va.
• Purcellville, Va.
• Charles Town, WV
• Taneytown, Md.
• Thurmont, Md.
• Boonsboro, Md.

Showers could linger overnight as the cold front moves through, with additional rain possible Thursday morning. Temperatures will fall throughout the day Thursday, with highs struggling to reach 60 degrees before dropping further.

Residents are encouraged to stay weather-aware this afternoon and keep alerts enabled in case warnings are issued.