Tornado warning issued for Kent County, other counties remain under watch

Isabel Hughes
Delaware News Journal

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Kent County, while the rest of the state remains under a tornado watch.

The agency issued the Kent warning at about 3:20 p.m., saying it will expire at 4:15 p.m. New Castle and Sussex counties remain under a watch that was issued around 1 p.m. and is active until 7 p.m. In addition to Delaware, parts of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are included in the watch.

The watch comes as part of a strong storm system that brought heavy rain to the area Monday morning. At 5:30 a.m., the weather agency said showers with "isolated thunderstorms" were likely to continue into the evening.

Monday's rain and thunderstorms, which have prompted a tornado watch, caused low-lying areas such as the Avon underpass in Newark to flood.

Afternoon rain and storms also "may be capable of producing damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes," a tweet said.

A tornado watch means there are weather conditions that could lead to the formation of severe storms and tornadoes, though none have actually been spotted. 

READ:What's the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?

A warning, a more serious alert, is issued if a tornado has been spotted or if radar indicates a tornado is occurring or could happen soon. 

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Send story tips or ideas to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_