Columbus, Ohio — Multiple rounds of thunderstorms could bring damaging winds, hail, and isolated tornadoes across southern and central Ohio from tonight through Wednesday evening.
According to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, the first round of storms is expected late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, with activity beginning around 1 a.m. in western Ohio and spreading east across the state through about 9 a.m. Wednesday.
During the overnight and morning hours, large hail will be the primary concern, though forecasters say isolated strong wind gusts may also develop with stronger storms.
Cities including Cincinnati, Dayton, and areas along the Interstate 75 corridor could see storms during the early morning hours, potentially affecting overnight travel and early commuters.
A second round of storms is expected Wednesday afternoon into the evening, when the severe weather threat could increase as storms redevelop across the region.
Forecasters say the main hazard during the afternoon round will be damaging winds, with gusts potentially reaching around 70 mph in stronger storms. Large hail and isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out as storms move east across southern and central Ohio.
The afternoon storms may begin developing around 1 p.m. in western Ohio before spreading toward Columbus, Chillicothe, and Portsmouth between roughly 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Drivers traveling along major corridors including Interstate 70, Interstate 71, and Interstate 75 could encounter sudden heavy rain, strong winds, and reduced visibility during the afternoon commute.
Because storms may occur during both overnight hours and the late afternoon commute, disruptions to travel and scattered power outages are possible.
Residents are encouraged to monitor weather alerts, enable emergency notifications on mobile devices, and have multiple ways to receive warnings as storms develop.
