Iowa counties under the tornado watch within the WVIK listening area include Cedar. Clinton, Des Moines, Dubuque, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott. Counties in the watch area in Illinois include Carroll, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, McDonough, Mercer, Rock Island, Warren, and Whiteside. (The map above shows all the counties.)
A tornado watch means conditions are ripe for the development of heavy rain, damaging winds, dangerous lightning, and hail. Be on the lookout for the development of these dangerous weather conditions, and be ready to take shelter if necessary.
The Storm Prediction Center has also upgraded its prediction to what it calls a "high" risk for storms in our area. That's a level 5 out of 5. The Weather Service says there's a, "Higher threat for all types of severe weather."
A wind advisory is also in effect for the Quad Cities metro area and counties to the south until Saturday at 1 pm. Always check the weather service home page for the most up to date information.