Weather in metro-east could turn severe today and tonight. Where, when and how bad?

If you’re heading out later this afternoon or evening, the National Weather Service office in St. Louis recommends you stay plugged in to what’s happening outside.

The metro-east area is at a slight risk for severe thunderstorms later this afternoon and evening, according to Jared Maples, a meteorologist with National Weather Service of St. Louis. At 11:30 a.m. the NWS issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the entire region, including St. Clair and Madison counties, until 7 p.m.

“What we’re watching is we have some thunderstorm activity that developed over the plains tracking east and northeast,” Maples said. “Right now, the leading edge of the thunderstorm activity is in West Central Illinois at this time.”

Maples said high winds and hail represent the primary threats, but the possibility of tornadoes developing cannot be ruled out.

“However, the tornado threat is not nearly as high as the threat of high winds and hail,” Maples added. “And we are not in a moderate or high risk for severe weather yet.”

The forecast as of 10 a.m. called for about a 90% chance of showers and storms this afternoon with the threat dropping to 70% this evening. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph this evening.

The greatest risk of severe storms appears to be mainly to the north of St. Clair County. Maples said if severe weather develops in the metro-east, it likely would be between 3-4 p.m. and possibly extend into the evening hours — maybe as late as 7 or 8 p.m.

“The key to this is how it plays out through the day today,” Maples said.

The National Weather Service website recommends keeping plugged into the weather forecast as it develops throughout the day and through the evening hours.

“Keep your phone charged, on, and audible overnight to ensure you get woken up (sic) by tornado warnings,” the NWS website advises.

This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 10:18 AM.