Tornado watch issued for much of state

UPDATE:

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for much of the state in advance of severe storms forecast to move through Friday afternoon.

The watch remains in effect until 6 p.m.

Counties under the watch are: Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Crawford, Dallas, Faulkner, Franklin, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Little River, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Miller, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Perry, Pike, Polk, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sevier, Stone, Union, Van Buren, Washington, White and Yell.

EARLIER:

Severe storms capable of producing damaging wind, tornadoes and large hail are possible Thursday afternoon in Arkansas, the National Weather Service said.

A system of showers and thunderstorms will move in from the west in the early afternoon, bringing with it temperatures in the 60s and 70s.

Forecasters say that will create an unstable air mass that may spur severe weather, particularly across the central and southern parts of the states. Thunderstorms are still expected in the north, but it is less likely they will turn severe.

Heavy rain is expected with the storms.

Officials say the storm should enter western Arkansas between noon and 3 p.m., moving into central Arkansas between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. and reaching the eastern part of the state between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

This story was originally published at 7:48 a.m.

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