“It was one of those heavy, sultry afternoons when nature seems to be saying to itself, ‘Now, shall I, or shall I not, scare the pants off these people with a hell of a thunderstorm?'”– P.G. Wodehouse, “Jeeves and the Tie That Binds”
MANSFIELD — It’s rated as a “slight risk” by the weather experts in Cleveland.
But with the memories of June’s hell-from-above storm still fresh in our minds, it’s worth keeping an eye on the skies late this afternoon and into the early evening.
As of Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service office in Cleveland has issued a hazardous weather outlook for much of northern Ohio, including Richland, Ashland, Crawford and Knox counties.
Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible late this afternoon and evening. Damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph will be the main threat, followed by large hail.
The threat of an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out if storms become severe.
In the mid-summer calm before a potential storm, it will be sunny and hot again today with a high near 88.
Showers and a possible big banger or two are expected between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. as the low falls off to around 69. Winds will swing from the southwest to the west with gusts around 26 mph.
Do keep an ear out for thunderstorm watches and warnings later today. Here is what those terms mean:
Severe Thunderstorm Watch: Be Prepared! Severe thunderstorms are possible in and near the watch area. Stay informed and be ready to act if a severe thunderstorm warning is issued. The watch area is typically large, covering numerous counties or even states.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Take Action! Severe weather has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar. Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property. Take shelter in a substantial building. Get out of mobile homes that can blow over in high winds. Warnings typically encompass a much smaller area (around the size of a city or small county) that may be impacted by a large hail or damaging wind identified by an NWS forecaster on radar or by a trained spotter/law enforcement who is watching the storm.
A pessimist would say the chance of rain is 60 percent. An optimist would retort by saying there’s a 40 percent chance we sit this weather event out in north central Ohio.
If it does rain, we’re likely to see between a tenth and a quarter of an inch of precipitation with larger amounts in the event of a thunderstorm.
The rest of the week and into the weekend looks calm. It will be sunny Thursday, Friday and Saturday with highs in the mid to high 80s and lows into the upper 60s.
There is a decent chance of rain Saturday night and into Sunday.
