The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch Thursday night for six southeast Michigan counties, warning that conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms until 2 a.m. Friday.
The watch covers Bay, Genesee, Livingston, Midland, Saginaw and Shiawassee counties, including Bay City, Brighton, Durand, Flint, Fowlerville, Howell, Midland, Owosso and Saginaw. A tornado watch does not mean a tornado has been spotted. It means forecasters see the ingredients for dangerous storms and want people to stay alert.
Residents in the watch area were told to monitor weather updates and be ready to move to shelter if warnings are issued. Severe weather was also possible in Metro Detroit on Thursday, June 11, and forecasters said an organized line of thunderstorms could move across southeast Michigan between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., bringing hail, damaging winds and even spin-up tornadoes if it holds together.
But the line may never fully organize. The National Weather Service said Thursday evening's storms may not have enough instability to maintain their strength and could weaken before reaching southeast Michigan, or pass to the south altogether. That leaves the watch active for now, but the actual storm threat still depends on whether the system survives the trip across the region.
For now, the next step is straightforward: keep an eye on updates through the night and be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued. If the storms hold together, parts of southeast Michigan could see all modes of severe weather, including heavy rain, gusts above 70 mph and large hail before daybreak.
