ST. LOUIS — A line of severe storms is moving through the St. Louis area, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and several warnings and watches.
A tornado warning has expired for parts of Madison, Macoupin, Bond and Montgomery counties in Illinois. 5 On Your Side chief meteorologist Scott Connell said the tornado warning was prompted by radar-indicated circulation. There is no confirmation of a tornado on the ground.
Some of the St. Louis area also is under a severe thunderstorm warning, including parts of the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Crawford, Gasconade, Phelps and Franklin.
5 On Your Side's Scott Connell is giving an update on Thursday's storms as they move through the area. You can watch his live updates in the YouTube video below or at the top of this page.
The main threat Thursday will likely be strong, gusty winds with an isolated tornado south and west of St. Louis.
Download the free 5 On Your Side app to get the latest watches and warnings and track conditions live with our interactive radar. Use the links below to download now.
5 On Your Side news app
iPhone | Google Play
Thunderstorm complexes are notorious for impacting the severe weather potential for what would be the prime time for storms late in the day into the evening when the actual cold front is making its way across the region.
If the complex of storms diminishes before it gets to the metro area, then the odds of late afternoon or evening severe weather are expected to be higher. The second wave of thunderstorms will likely produce strong winds, some hail and isolated tornadoes with the best chances appearing to be along and south of Interstate 70 during the late afternoon into the evening.
5 On Your Side meteorologists will continue to assess the storm evolution during the overnight hours and how that will impact the severe weather potential during the day Thursday.
One thing is certain, once the rain comes to an end, much cooler weather returns to kick off what is considered the unofficial first weekend of summer. Temperatures for Memorial Day weekend will start out well below average and recover to near average by Monday. Early morning lows will be in the 40s for areas away from the metro both Saturday and Sunday morning.
