The National Weather Service says severe thunderstorms will bring damaging winds, hail, and the possibility of tornadoes this afternoon.
A tornado watch is currently in effect for eastern and parts of central North Carolina, including Wake County, until 8 p.m. A watch means that tornadoes could be likely to occur in a large area, whereas a warning would indicate that at least one has been spotted.
Forecasters expect rain and strong winds tonight, along with thunderstorms in the early part of the evening. Bitter cold will follow, with temperatures dropping into the low 30s overnight.
Much of the east coast is experiencing severe weather. Forecasters said mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C., were at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes. The cold front was expected to move off the East Coast by Tuesday, bringing sharply colder weather in its wake, forecasters said.
Forecasters warn about line of storms, tornadoes
The National Weather Service warned that a line of severe storms with damaging winds would cross much of the eastern U.S. After firing up Sunday, the storms were crossing the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys.
The storm threat was expected to enter the Appalachians, then move toward the East Coast, where “severe thunderstorms with widespread damaging winds and several tornadoes” were expected, the service said.
A stretch from parts of South Carolina to Maryland appeared most likely to experience the greatest damaging winds Monday afternoon, the weather service said. That could include Raleigh, North Carolina, Richmond, Virginia, and the nation’s capital.
Officials said schools in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, would be closed Monday. Gov. Josh Stein urged residents to enable emergency alerts on their phones ahead of expected wind gusts of 74 mph (119 kph).
“While North Carolina is no stranger to severe weather, the introduction of a Level 4 out of 5 moderate threat is very rare in our state,” said N.C. Emergency Management Director Will Ray in a press release. “It is imperative that all North Carolinians have a plan to protect themselves and their families and stay informed to take action when necessary.”
Duke Energy officials are warning North Carolinians to prepare for possible widespread outages due to severe thunderstorms across the state.
Related reading: How to prepare for tornadoes in North Carolina
Beyond the threat to lives and property, “whether it’s wind gusts from a squall line, blizzard or snow, or just wind because of the storm, you’re looking at several major airports being impacted,“ said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys.
Flights at Raleigh-Durham International Airport have been canceled, diverted, or delayed Monday as strong storms move across North Carolina. More than 30 flights were canceled today through American, Delta, and Southwest Airlines. Other airlines with delays or diversions include Breeze Airways and Delta.The status of departures and arrivals can be checked on RDU's website.
RDU officials say travelers may experience slow shuttle bus operations between terminals and remote parking lots due to possible strong winds. In a social media post, they recommended anyone heading to the airport plan ahead for extra travel time.
Eli Chen has also contributed to this story.
