‘Tornado watch’ issued for East Texas through 10 p.m.

Published 1:45 pm Friday, April 13, 2018

 

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for most of East Texas, including the Tyler area, until 10 tonight. 

A tornado watch means the weather conditions could lead to tornados. A tornado warning would mean there is a tornado in the area, and residents should take action to protect themselves. 



The National Weather Service has labeled this tornado watch as a “particularly dangerous situation,” or “PDS,” meaning that people should be more aware that a tornado could happen. 

“Strong to severe thunderstorms will be developing early this afternoon with the severe weather threat further intensifying by mid to late afternoon through this evening,” the weather service said on its website.

“All modes of severe weather will be possible, including the threat of potentially strong and long track tornadoes,” the weather service says. “Large hail and damaging winds are also significant threats.” 

Chris Nuttall, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said Friday morning that severe weather would start hitting the Tyler area sometime between noon and 3 p.m. and continue through the evening. 

The severe weather was in the Dallas area on Friday morning and moved east. The severe weather can bring large hail, damaging winds, and the possibility of tornados to East Texas, according to Nuttall. 

“Not every thunderstorm that develops produces a tornado, but the conditions are right that we could have tornados develop with some thunderstorms today,” Nuttall said.

“Everybody needs to have a way of keeping track of the weather today, of getting weather information,” he said.

Weather updates from the National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana are available at https://www.weather.gov/shv/.