(WWJ) – Potentially severe storms are rolling through Southeast Michigan Monday night, with the possibility of a tornado developing in the area.
The National Weather Service in Detroit says a warm front lifting into Southeast Michigan Monday evening has the potential to bring a large thunderstorm complex with damaging winds, large hail, localized flooding and maybe even a tornado.
Winds could reach as high as 70 mph in some areas, while hail could be bigger than an inch.
The NWS said Monday morning there was “considerable uncertainty” surrounding the exact track and timing of the storms. As of 9 p.m., the heaviest band of storms had largely gone south of the Detroit area.
The NWS issued a special weather statement for the Monroe and Adrian areas until 9:45 p.m. Residents are being told to seek shelter in a sturdy structure, as winds of 40 mph and hail hit the area.
Speaking live on WWJ Monday afternoon, AccuWeather's John Feerick said the radar was clear as of 3:30 p.m., but the complex was heading out across Lake Michigan from Wisconsin.
"When it first moves in here, it's probably just more of your garden variety showers, and maybe a few rumbles of embedded thunder," Feerick said. "But then as we move later on tonight, that's when we see the severe storms capable of producing destructive winds, maybe even an isolated tornado."
He predicted the greatest threat in Metro Detroit could come around midnight.
While the first strong band of storms hit mostly west and south of Ann Arbor, as of 9 p.m., radar showed another line of storms that appeared to be heading a little further north.
That band of severe weather will likely arrive in Metro Detroit sometime between 2-4 a.m. Tuesday.
AccuWeather meteorologist Matt Benz said on WWJ Monday afternoon Metro Detroiters should “stay weather aware” as the storms move into the area.
That includes having a severe weather safety plan and multiple ways to receive alerts.
As for the rainfall, the NWS says an average of one inch is likely, but “intense rainfall in thunderstorms will bring the potential of localized totals in excess of 2 inches in a short period, which would likely cause urban flooding.”
Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest weather updates every 10 minutes on the :08s.
Related
Monday’s storms are expected to be followed by some potentially record-breaking heat later this week.
Temperatures could reach 95 or higher on Wednesday, with heat indices in the low 100s. The record highs for June 15 in the area include 95 in Detroit (1988) and 93 in Flint (1988) and Saginaw (1994).