Tornado watch parts of southern Minnesota until 10 p.m.; flash flood watch Tuesday evening and overnight

Severe thunderstorms and flooding rains are possible in parts of southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin this Tuesday evening, and the flooding rain threat will continue overnight.

The Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service continues a tornado watch until 10 p.m. Tuesday evening:

The tornado watch does not include the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, but it does include Rice and Goodhue counties just to the south of the metro area, plus Pierce county of west-central WI.

Details of the tornado watch:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

Tornado Watch Number 368

NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK

335 PM CDT Tue Sep 4 2018

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Tornado Watch for portions of

Northern and central Iowa

Southeast Minnesota

Western and central Wisconsin

* Effective this Tuesday afternoon and evening from 335 PM until

1000 PM CDT.

* Primary threats include...

A couple tornadoes possible

Isolated damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible

SUMMARY...A gradual strengthening of low-level winds in conjunction

with a very moist air mass will support the possibility of

high-precipitation supercells as well as organized small-scale

bowing segments. A couple of tornadoes will be possible aside from

wind damage through the mid-evening hours.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles

north and south of a line from 30 miles west southwest of Fort Dodge

IA to 60 miles north northeast of Camp Douglas WI. For a complete

depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update

(WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for

tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch

area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for

threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements

and possible warnings.

&&

AVIATION...Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail

surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind

gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean

storm motion vector 22030.

Flooding rains expected

Heavy rains are expected Tuesday evening into the overnight hours Tuesday night in much of south-central and southeastern Minnesota and parts of western Wisconsin:

The Twin Cities metro area could see rainfall totals of two to three inches, but we could see close to four inches in parts of Dakota county.

Higher rain totals are expected from southeastern Minnesota into parts of western and central Wisconsin.

The areas with the highest areas of rain are most likely to see flash flooding:

A flash flood watch continues into the overnight hours for the areas with the best chance of flash flooding:

According to the NWS:

On average, more people are killed by flooding than by any other single severe weather hazard, including tornadoes, lightning, and hurricanes. Most of these deaths occur at night, when it is more difficult to recognize flood dangers, and when people are trapped in vehicles.

Updated weather information can be heard on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and updates are also posted on the MPR News live weather blog.