Weather Alert Update: The Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the local area has been cancelled

Update 7 p.m: The Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the local area has been cancelled and is no longer in effect.

Update: 4.30 p.m.

Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Oconee, northwestern Morgan, southeastern Clarke, east central Walton, northern Greene, northwestern Wilkes, Oglethorpe and southeastern Madison Counties through 515 PM EDT…

At 425 PM EDT, a line of strong thunderstorms was along a line extending from Paoli to Good Hope, and moving south at 25 mph.

HAZARD…40 to 50 mph wind, pea sized hail and frequent cloud to ground lightning.

SOURCE…Radar indicated.

IMPACT…Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of light, unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include… Watkinsville, Lexington, Comer, Winterville, Crawford, North High Shoals, Bostwick, Arnoldsville, Woodville, Good Hope, Carlton, Bishop, Maxeys, Rayle, Whitehall, Athens-Clarke County, Stephens, Smithonia, Wrayswood, and Hutchings.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for north central, northeastern and east central Georgia.

National Weather Service

Initial Alert:

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for 31 Georgia counties including Walton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Morgan, Newton and Oconee, until 9 p.m. tonight, Aug. 3, 2023.

In the local area this includes the cities of Conyers, Covington, Lawrenceville, Madison, Monroe, Monticello, Watkinsville and Winder.

Thunderstorms over north Georgia will expand across North and
Central Georgia this afternoon and tonight. Some storms may be
severe with damaging winds, frequent lightning, and very heavy
rainfall. One or two brief tornadoes cannot be ruled out for North
and West central Georgia. Localized flash flooding is also possible
with extended periods of heavy rainfall and training thunderstorms.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Friday through Wednesday…

Scattered thunderstorms are expected each day through Wednesday,
mainly in the afternoon and evening hours. A few storms may become
strong to severe with damaging winds, frequent lightning, heavy
rainfall and localized flooding.

National Weather Service

Stay tuned for the possibility of warnings being issued.