JUST IN: Tornado Watch Issued for Fairfax County

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for Fairfax County and the D.C. region.

The Tornado Watch is in effect until midnight.

Storms with heavy rain and strong winds are expected to reach Fairfax County between 7-9 p.m., forecasters warn. Trick-or-treaters and Halloween party-goers should seek shelter.

The National Weather Service issued this statement:

…DAMAGING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN MID AFTERNOON AND MIDNIGHT…

A line of thunderstorms is expected to move east across the region. These storms will bring the possibility of damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes. Please be sheltered when these thunderstorms pass through your area.

The most likely timing of the line ranges from mid to late afternoon for the Potomac Highlands, to the evening for the Baltimore/Washington metros, to between 9pm and midnight for areas east of I-95 to the Chesapeake Bay. The storms will likely last an hour or less in most areas.

Stay informed. For more exact timing for your location, consult the forecast for your community at our website weather.gov or our Facebook or Twitter feeds for National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington.

A line of thunderstorms is expected later this afternoon and evening. These thunderstorms may contain heavy rain, locally damaging wind gusts, & possibly a few tornadoes. See the second image for more detailed timing information. Stay weather aware & heed any warnings. pic.twitter.com/svF7kZczEw

— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) October 31, 2019

⚠️A tornado watch has been issued until midnight. A watch means current weather conditions may result in a tornado. Please stay alert and aware of tonight's forecast. https://t.co/dsuQfrcH8F

— Fairfax County Government ⚾⚾⚾⚾ (@fairfaxcounty) October 31, 2019