| SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES & WARNINGS |
| Usually a source of great confusion, I hope to clear up the differences between watches and warnings and how they apply to either tornadoes or thunderstorms. |
| THUNDERSTORM WATCH |
| THUNDERSTORM WARNING |
| The least severe of the four major watches and warnings. This is usually issued hours ahead of time; even when the sky is blue. It means that thunderstorms are LIKELY to develop in a certain area,usually an area covering several counties, known as the watch area. In other words, you are being advised to watch for severe weather. |
| In this scenario, a severe thunderstorm has definitley been detected and therefore an alert, or warning issued for the county where the thunderstorm exists. This means this area can in all likelihood expect heavy rain, strong winds, dangerous lightning, and possibly large hail. In other words, the weather service is warning you about a dangerous storm. |
| TORNADO WATCH |
| TORNADO WARNING |
| As with the t-storm watch, the tornado watch means to also be advised to watch for severe weather, although in this case, you are to be aware that tornadoes are likely to form within the watch area, as well as other types of severe weather. |
| A tornado warning is perhaps the most serious of the advisories. It means that a tornado exists and is on the ground and confirmed, either by radar or eyewitnesses. This is of utmost urgency and you should take shelter immediately. |
| There are other types of advisories associated with severe weather, such as flash flood watches and warnings, but again, the key words are watch and warning. Watch, meaning to be alert, and warning which signifies imminent danger or concern. |
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