DC, MD, VA weather: Tornado warning issued in MD, tornado watch, thunderstorm warnings across region

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After a record-breaking warm day in the DC region, a tornado warning has been issued for parts of northern Maryland on Wednesday, with tornado watches in parts of northern Virginia toward the Baltimore area.

Severe weather

What we know:

After a dry first half of Wednesday with a mix of clouds and some sunshine, a strong cold front approaching from the west will bring the threat of late-day thunderstorms, especially between 3 and 7 p.m.

Storms are not guaranteed everywhere, but any that develop could produce:

• Gusty winds
• Heavy downpours
• Frequent lightning
• An isolated tornado

 The same storm system produced severe weather, including tornadoes, in parts of Indiana and eastern Illinois on Tuesday.

Tornado warning, watches

The details:

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning Wednesday for northern and central Baltimore County, including the areas of Towson, Randallstown and Pikesville. That warning is in effect until 7:45 p.m.

A Tornado Watch has been issued for parts of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia until 8 p.m. Wednesday. 

Tornado Watch issued until 8 p.m. for the following counties: 

• Loudoun County, Virginia
• Frederick County, Maryland
• Montgomery County, Maryland
• Carroll County, Maryland
• Howard County, Maryland
• Harford County, Maryland
• Baltimore County, Maryland
• Baltimore City, Maryland

Thunderstorm warnings

The details:

Severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued for several parts of the region, according to the national Weather Service. 

So far, this includes: 

• Leesburg, Va.
• Purcellville, Va.
• Charles Town, WV
• Taneytown, Md.
• Thurmont, Md.
• Boonsboro, Md.

What's next:

Showers could linger overnight as the cold front moves through, with additional rain possible Thursday morning. Temperatures will fall throughout the day Thursday, with highs struggling to reach 60 degrees before dropping further.

What you can do:

Residents are encouraged to stay weather-aware this afternoon and keep alerts enabled in case warnings are issued.