OHIO — The National Weather Service has issued severe thunderstorm watches covering large portions of Ohio as strong storms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail and frequent lightning move across the region Saturday evening.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch 279 remains in effect until 10 p.m. for parts of central, western, southwestern and northwestern Ohio. Counties included in the watch are Auglaize, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Darke, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Highland, Hocking, Licking, Logan, Madison, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Pickaway, Pike, Preble, Ross, Shelby, Union and Warren.
The watch also includes northwestern Ohio counties Allen, Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Putnam and Van Wert.
Cities included in the watch area include Columbus, Dayton, Springfield, Xenia, Hamilton, Lancaster, Newark, Wilmington, Troy, Sidney, Bellefontaine, Circleville, Chillicothe, Wapakoneta, Lima, Defiance, Van Wert and Ottawa.
A separate Severe Thunderstorm Watch 282 has been issued until 11 p.m. for eastern and northern portions of Ohio. Counties included are Ashland, Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Erie, Guernsey, Hancock, Harrison, Holmes, Huron, Jefferson, Knox, Lorain, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Stark, Tuscarawas, Vinton, Washington, Wayne, Wood and Wyandot.
Residents across the watch areas are urged to remain weather aware and be prepared to seek shelter if severe thunderstorm warnings are issued. The primary threats include damaging wind gusts, large hail and dangerous lightning.
The watches remain in effect through late Saturday evening.
