Severe Thunderstorm Watch In Effect Until 10 PM; Blistering Winds, Apple-Sized Hail Expected

Strong winds, severe thunderstorms, hail and a possible tornado could hit the Austin area as soon as this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, and a severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for much of Central and South Texas until 10 p.m.

NWS expects wind speeds to reach as high as 70 mph, and it says apple-sized hail and isolated tornadoes are possible. Meteorologists expect the line of storms to reach Central Texas by 4 or 5 p.m. 

A handful of counties in North and Central Texas outside the Austin area are under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. 

Meteorologist Eric Platt told KUT that those strong winds and the possibility of 2-inch-diameter hail are the biggest threats to the Austin area. Platt says there’s also a risk of an isolated tornado and urges Central Texans to seek shelter, if that’s the case.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Texas until 10 PM CST pic.twitter.com/teesSvWoSe

— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) January 10, 2020

“If you’re in a multi-story home, you want to be on the lowest floor. Try to get to the most interior portion that you can,” Platt said. “Generally, that’s a bathroom or a closet. You know, you try to put as much walls between you and the outside of your dwelling as possible.”

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Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Hutto, Manor, Leander, Lake Travis and Pflugerville ISDs all canceled  after-school activities ahead of the front, including after-school care and athletics. 

This is a developing story. Check back in for updates.