Tornado Watch issued Sunday for east central Florida counties

Tornado Watch issued Sunday for east central Florida counties, The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for six counties in east central Florida. Forecasters at the National Weather Service Office in Melbourne say the watch includes Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties and is in effect until 10 Sunday night. Cities in the watch area include Daytona Beach, Kissimee, Leesburg, Melbourne, Orlando, Sanford and St. Cloud. The tornado watch was also updated shortly afterwards to include Flagler, Marion, Putnam and St. Johns counties. The watch also includes coastal waters from Flagler Beach to the Volusia/Brevard County Line and south to Sebastian Inlet, out 20 nautical miles.

The National Weather Service says a watch is issued when the risk of hazardous weather “…has increased significantly, but its occurrence, location, and timing is still uncertain. It is intended to provide enough lead time so that those who need to set their plans in motion can do so.”

The afternoon forecast for Daytona Beach calls for showers and thunderstorms with a high around 79. Winds will be east around 15 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 20 miles per hour. The chance of rain is 60 percent. For tonight, showers and thunderstorms are likely up to 8 p.m., with a low around 65. Winds will be south-southeast at 5 to 10 miles per hour. The chance of rain tonight is also 60 percent.