Middle Tennessee Storms: Tornado Watch Issued

NASHVILLE, TN -- A line of potentially severe storms will push into Middle Tennessee Friday night, National Weather Service forecasters say, bringing high winds, damaging hail and possible an isolated tornado.

The weather service issued a tornado watch - meaning conditions are favorable for a tornado - through 2 a.m. Saturday.

"The NOAA NWS Storm Prediction Center continues to place Middle Tennessee in a ‘moderate risk’ category (level 4 out of 5) late this afternoon and into tonight for locations generally around and north of I-40 and generally along and west of I-65. There is an ‘enhanced risk’ (level 3 out of 5) for the remaining locations across the mid state. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop across Kentucky late this afternoon, then spread southeast through Middle Tennessee late this afternoon into tonight. With any severe thunderstorms that do develop, large hail, damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes, and brief heavy rainfall will be possible." the NWS office in Old Hickory said.

The storms are expected to push into northwestern Middle Tennessee by 7 p.m. and into the Nashville area over the next few hours, eventually overrunning the entire Midstate with storms continuing into early Saturday. Strong winds and large hail are the primary risk, but meteorologists say that spin-up tornadoes are also possible.

Check with Patch for weather updates through the evening.

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Image via National Weather Service