Late note: A tornado watch is being issued for South Central Alabama until 8 p.m… Details shortly…
At 3:35 p.m., National Weather Service radar indicated rain and some thunderstorms over much of Central Alabama.
The activity was beginning to diminish over western sections near an eastward moving disturbance.
A tornado warning was in effect until 4 p.m. for eastern Dallas County for a storm passing east of Selma. It indicated signs of rotation. Lots of lightning also.
Unusual amounts of shear in the atmosphere this afternoon thanks to low pressure aloft and at the surface to our west in Mississippi. The low produced a significant mid level jet that energized the rain and thunderstorm actviity over South Central Alabama this afternoon. There have beena couple of tornado warnings. WInd damage was reported in Choctaw County, with emergency management reporting a possible tornado in the Arant community at 12:49 p.m.
Light to moderate rain covered North Central Alabama from Winston and Walker Counties eastward through Cullman and Blount Counties to Calhoun and Cleburne Counties.
Moderate rain covered northern Bibb up into Tuscaloosa and southwestern Jefferson Counties. It looks like this activity will affect much of the Birmingham metro area during the next hour and a half or so.
A complex of strong storms was over Sumter and Greene Counties heading toward Hale County. Torrential rains were indicated along with lots of lightning.
Thunderstorms extended from southeastern Perry through eastern Dallas County, curving into Lowednes, eastern Wilcox and Monroe Counties in Southwest Alabama.
Other strong storms were over Southeast Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Temperatures were still in the 70s in the I-20 Corridor. Unusual for July in Alabama.
