Update: Tornado Watch for Fairfax County Wednesday Night

Update: 3:30 p.m. Wednesday: The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Fairfax County until 11 p.m. tonight.

Original story, 12:45 p.m. Wednesday: The National Weather Service is predicting a good chance of heavy wind gusts and torrential rain this afternoon, which could impact the evening rush hour.

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has placed the D.C. area in its “enhanced risk” zone for severe thunderstorms, which is level three on its one-to-five scale.

The Capital Weather Gang has a timeline of what to expect:

• Timing: 4 to 10 p.m.
• Coverage: Widespread showers and storms
• Storm motion: Southwest to northeast
• Storm duration: 20 to 30 minutes, but multiple showers and storms possible
• Likely impacts: Heavy rain
• Possible impacts: Damaging winds, flash flooding, small hail
• Cannot rule out: Isolated tornadoes, large hail

The Storm Prediction Center indicates there is a 30 percent chance of damaging winds within 25 miles of a point in the region, and 10-15 percent chance of tornadoes. A stronger tornado cannot be ruled (at least EF2 on the 0-5 scale) south of the D.C. area, the CWG says.

Northern Virginia remains under a Flood Watch until midnight tonight.

Photo: Rain/Credit: Bahmad Farzad via Flickr