South Bend, IN – A wide swath of northern Indiana and central to southern Michigan is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10 p.m. EDT today, as forecasters warn of potentially damaging winds, large hail, and frequent lightning.
According to the US National Weather Service Northern Indiana, the storm watch was issued at 3 p.m. Monday for dozens of counties highlighted in yellow across the region, including Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Flint, and South Bend. The alert indicates that atmospheric conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms capable of producing gusts up to 70 mph and isolated hail potentially reaching the size of ping-pong balls.
The impacted area encompasses a population of nearly 5.9 million residents, more than 2,500 schools, and over 100 hospitals, based on federal exposure estimates. Residents are urged to remain alert throughout the evening and have multiple ways to receive warning notifications in the event storms intensify into warnings.
Forecasters emphasize that while this is a watch—meaning storms are possible but not guaranteed—residents in the affected zone should prepare for the possibility of rapidly changing conditions. The public is also advised to avoid unnecessary travel during the peak threat window and to secure loose outdoor objects.
For the latest updates and localized alerts, the National Weather Service encourages checking weather.gov/iwx and spc.noaa.gov frequently.
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