Severe Thunderstorm Warnings issued, storms to arrive starting at 3 p.m.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The risk of severe weather in Metro Detroit on Thursday afternoon is now Enhanced, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Lapeer County until 4 p.m.
Shortly after that warning was issued, others came in for Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne Counties.
This means that thunderstorms may be persistent and widespread, with some intense storms possible.
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The threat of the storm was always targeted for southeast Michigan between 3 and 7 p.m. and, at 2:30, the first edges of the storm arrived.
All of Southeast Michigan is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8 p.m.
Initially, the area was under a Slight Risk, meaning that the storms would be short and not widespread. Isolated intense storms are possible in this risk category.
The window for severe weather is 3-7 p.m., though it will most likely hit the Metro Detroit area between 4-6 p.m. The storms will initiate as individual cells before evolving into a solid line. By 5 p.m. storms are likely.
Strong wind and hail are our two greatest threats, and while the tornado threat is low, it's not zero.
Isolated areas of Michigan could get hail up to the size of a tennis ball, the NWS said, while hail larger than an inch is expected in others. Winds may exceed 70 mph.
This storm risk is associated with a cold front. The heat and high humidity will also help fuel the storms today with highs expected to warm to the mid-80s.
The line of storms should move out by 7 p.m. with quieter weather to follow tonight. There could be a stray shower to follow this evening but expect mainly dry and more comfortable conditions.
The end of the week looks quiet and cooler with highs in the upper 70s with mainly dry conditions through the day. Really nice weekend ahead of us with highs in the lower to mid-80s with sunshine.
Big-time heat returns through the latter half of the week with highs flirting with 90 through the end of the week.