The National Weather Service has extended Tornado Watch 45 to include much of the central Maryland region, including Montgomery County, until 8pm Wednesday.
The expanded watch now covers seven Maryland counties: Montgomery, Howard, Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore County, Harford County, and Baltimore City. Loudoun County in Northern Virginia is also included.
Cities included in the watch area include Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Potomac, Columbia, Frederick, Westminster, Towson, Baltimore, Bel Air, and Leesburg, among others.
Per the National Weather Service, “Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds of 60 to 70 mph and large hail are possible. A few tornadoes are possible, which could be strong. Elsewhere, a few severe thunderstorms are possible this evening. Severe thunderstorms may be capable of producing damaging wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph, a few instances of large hail, and perhaps a tornado.”
Residents are encouraged to monitor weather alerts closely and ensure they have a reliable way to receive warnings if conditions rapidly worsen.
