The risk of severe weather is sticking with us today, and it’s now been upgraded for a large swath of Michigan. Damaging winds with gusts as high as 75 mph are expected to be the main threat if this storm system develops.
It could also bring heavy rain to areas that were still seeing some flooding this morning, including the metro Detroit and Washtenaw County areas. Hail is more of a secondary risk with this system, say meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Detroit. And the chance for an isolated tornado or two remains.
The upgraded risk area stretches from Flint to the north, down to the southeast corner of the state near Monroe, then all the way west into Kent County. It includes Ann Arbor, Lansing, Jackson and Detroit.
There are still some questions with the storm system, including if it will contain thunderstorms.
“SE MI has been upgraded to an enhanced risk for storms this evening,” the NWS Detroit team posted in a Facebook update today. “Damaging wind gusts will be the primary hazard, although all hazards will be possible. Heavy rain is likely with any storms which could worsen flooding in areas that were hard hit last night.”
Highlights of this increased risk include:
Timeline for severe storm development is roughly 5 to 11 p.m.
Wind remains the biggest potential hazard, with gusts estimated to top 70 or 75 mph.
Heavy rain could impact areas that already saw anywhere from 2 to 5 inches fall on Wednesday and early today.
