Weather Alert Update: Special Weather Statement for strong thunderstorms until 2:15 p.m. Friday

Update: 2 p.m.

Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Oconee, southeastern Barrow, north central Morgan, southeastern Gwinnett, Clarke, Walton and northwestern Oglethorpe Counties through 215 PM EDT…

At 148 PM EDT, National Weather Service doppler radar indicated a line of strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Winterville to Rosebud, and moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD…40 to 50 mph wind and increased chance of a brief tornado.

SOURCE…Radar indicated.

IMPACT…While winds should result in minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of light, unsecured objects, the leading edge of this line of storms has also exhibited areas of localized rotation. A brief tornado could quickly form.

Locations impacted include… Monroe, Watkinsville, Lexington, Athens, Snellville, Loganville, Statham, Walnut Grove, Winterville, Bogart, Crawford, North High Shoals, Bethlehem, Bostwick, Arnoldsville, Between, Good Hope, Bishop, Whitehall, and Athens-Clarke County.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

People outdoors should seek shelter immediately.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 800 PM EDT for north central and northeastern Georgia.

Watch issued from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday

Update

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8 p.m. on Friday, May 30, for several counties in Georgia including the following counties in north central Georgia: Barrow, Dekalb, Gwinnett, Morgan, Newton, Rockdale, Walton and more. This includes the cities of Covington, Lawrenceville, Monroe and Watkinsville.

Initial story

The National Weather Service in its hazardous weather outlook is warning of the potential for severe weather today, Friday, May 30, for several counties in north and central Georgia, including Walton, Gwinnett, and surrounding counties.

According to the NWS, a line of thunderstorms will progress from northwest to southeast across the state today bringing with it the potential for wind gusts and hail up to 1 inch in diameter. A brief tornado or two also are possible. The main time these storms are expected is between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

At this time (10 a.m.) no watches or warnings have been issued by the NWS. Weather.com predictions and radar for the local area puts the time most likely for these storms to reach the local area (97% to 100%) between 1 to 3 p.m. Stay alert for possible warnings.

Tomorrow looks to be a beautiful day. Let’s hope that prediction is correct.