Severe thunderstorm watch until 8 p.m.

(WJBK) - The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for all of southeast Michigan until 8 p.m. tonight. A full list of counties included in the watch can be found below.

The FOX 2 Weather Authority team says the northern part of the Lower Peninsula is getting rocked by storms right now, and some hail as big as 3" has been reported.

Southern Michigan has a chance for damaging storms this evening, too. Communities north of M-59 are at a higher risk of damaging storms, but all of southeast Michigan could see storms with potentially damaging winds.

Conditions are favorable for pop-up thunderstorms to appear on the radar, though the Weather Authority Team says there's no active storms we're currently tracking. The Weather Authority Team says be on alert between 4-8 p.m. for pop-up thunderstorms. 

Overnight, much of the metro area saw rain for the first time in weeks. The last time southeast Michigan saw a good, soaking rain was June 4.

Last night's heavy rains even caused flooding on some Detroit-area freeways, forcing officials to close portions of interstates 696 and 94. 

I-696 was closed on both directions early Friday in Warren. Some street flooding also was reported in suburban Detroit. On Thursday night, the Lansing State Journal reports Adado Riverfront Park was briefly evacuated as thunderstorms moved through during Tim McGraw's Common Ground Music Festival. In places, the National Weather Service reported about 3 inches of rain fell.

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COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE THUNDERSTORM WATCH

Allegan
Barry
Bay
Calhoun
Clare
Clinton
Eaton
Genesee
Gratiot
Huron
Ingham
Ionia
Isabella
Jackson
Kalamazoo
Kent
Lake
Lapeer
Lenawee
Livingston
Macomb
Mason
Mecosta
Midland
Monroe
Montcalm
Muskegon
Newaygo
Oakland
Oceana
Osceola
Ottawa
Saginaw
Sanilac
Shiawassee
St. Clair
Tuscola
Van Buren
Washtenaw
Wayne

The Associated Press contributed to this report