Severe thunderstorm watch issued for all of Southeast Michigan through Tuesday evening
Southeast Michigan could see severe weather for the second day in a row this week, after having experienced trees down and power outages from the Monday afternoon storms.
The National Weather Service has issued a slight risk forecast, level 2 of 5, for severe weather on Tuesday across much of Indiana and Ohio, and into Michigan.
This means there is a potential for scattered strong to severe thunderstorms on Tuesday afternoon and evening in an area from Ann Arbor to Flint, including Metro Detroit.
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The main threats include damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph, large hail, and heavy downpours. But there is also the possibility of an isolated tornado, especially in areas that see breaks of sunshine and stronger daytime heating.
Southeast Michigan residents should stay weather-aware and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions through tonight.
The CBS News Detroit weather team has declared Tuesday to be a NEXT Weather Alert Day, stepping up forecasts and announcements as needed.
Watch vs warning
The National Weather Service says a severe weather watch means "be prepared." It is possible that the weather will reach severe levels during the time frame specified.
A severe weather warning means "take action," that severe weather conditions have been reported by spotters or can be detected on radar. People are asked to take shelter indoors, away from windows.