Houston, TX – A Tornado Watch has been issued for much of southeast Texas through 7 p.m. CST Monday, as strong to severe thunderstorms move across the region this afternoon and evening.
According to the National Weather Service in Houston-Galveston, storms are capable of producing damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph, hail up to two inches in diameter, and a few tornadoes. Areas included in the watch cover a population of more than 7.6 million people, stretching from College Station and Brenham eastward through Lufkin, Jasper, Beaumont, and into the Houston metro area.
Forecasters say scattered thunderstorms will intensify through the afternoon as warm, moist air feeds into the system. A secondary line of showers and storms is expected to develop this evening and push southward overnight.
The NWS notes that if afternoon storms exhaust available energy in the atmosphere, it may help limit the strength of evening storms — but the tornado and hail risk remains elevated through sunset.
Residents are urged to stay weather-aware, keep multiple ways to receive warnings, and move to a sturdy shelter immediately if a warning is issued.
