Tornadoes are possible in parts of Michigan on Thursday as a severe weather outbreak spreads over the Midwest and Great Lakes, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.
The Storm Prediction Center has designated much of Lower Michigan as a severe weather risk area, with portions of western and southern Michigan under a 5% tornado risk and areas further south and west in a 10% tornado risk zone. The broader tornado prognosis includes population centers such as Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, and Detroit.
Forecasters warn that severe thunderstorms will form and travel throughout the region throughout the day and evening. In addition to tornadoes, storms may create widespread damaging wind gusts and big hail.
The Storm Prediction Center predicts that an organized cluster of severe storms will move eastward from Iowa and Illinois toward the Great Lakes. As the storms approach Michigan later in the day, atmospheric conditions may become more favorable for tornado development, particularly as the low-level jet increases in the evening.
While the greatest tornado threat remains in eastern Iowa and northern Illinois, forecasters predict strong storms to spread eastward throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Lower Michigan, posing a continued risk of tornadoes and devastating winds.
Residents are asked to regularly watch forecasts and warnings throughout the day, have several ways to receive weather notifications, and be ready to seek shelter as soon as tornado warnings are issued.
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