UPDATE: Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued

Update at 4:15 p.m. — The storm is arriving.

Hearing reports of downed power lines and a blown transformer as winds pick up ahead of storm. Some power outages reported.

— Arlington News (@ARLnowDOTcom) July 18, 2016

Update at 4:05 p.m. — A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has now been issued.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FROM 3:45PM EDT MON UNTIL 4:30PM EDT MON

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… SOUTHWESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… NORTHWESTERN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE NORTH CENTRAL CITY OF MANASSAS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… NORTHWESTERN ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… SOUTHEASTERN LOUDOUN COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF MANASSAS PARK IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… NORTH CENTRAL FAUQUIER COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…

* UNTIL 430 PM EDT

* AT 345 PM EDT… SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BROADLANDS TO NEAR HAYMARKET… MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARD… 60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

SOURCE… RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT… DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS… AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON… GERMANTOWN… CENTREVILLE… ROCKVILLE… BETHESDA… GAITHERSBURG… RESTON… LEESBURG… ANNANDALE… OLNEY… SPRINGFIELD… SOUTH RIDING… HERNDON… FAIRFAX… VIENNA… FALLS CHURCH… BROADLANDS… LANSDOWNE… LOWES ISLAND AND BRAMBLETON. GET INDOORS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM WIND AND LIGHTNING. TREES AROUND YOU MAY BE DOWNED FROM DAMAGING WINDS… SO IF YOU ARE NEAR LARGE TREES… MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. DON’T DRIVE UNDERNEATH TREES OR IN WOODED AREAS UNTIL THE THREAT HAS PASSED.

Arlington County and surrounding areas are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch through 8 p.m. tonight.

The National Weather Service says damaging storms are possible.

From NWS:

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FROM 1:45PM EDT MON UNTIL 8PM EDT MON

VA . VIRGINIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ARLINGTON CLARKE CULPEPER FAIRFAX FAUQUIER FREDERICK GREENE KING GEORGE LOUDOUN MADISON ORANGE PAGE PRINCE WILLIAM RAPPAHANNOCK ROCKINGHAM SHENANDOAH SPOTSYLVANIA STAFFORD WARREN

VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE

ALEXANDRIA FAIRFAX FALLS CHURCH FREDERICKSBURG HARRISONBURG MANASSAS MANASSAS PARK WINCHESTER

DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RESIDENTS ALL ACROSS THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON DC METRO AREAS…NORTH AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA…MUCH OF MARYLAND AND PARTS OF THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE SHOULD MONITOR THIS SITUATION VERY CLOSELY AND ENSURE YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIOS ARE SET TO ALERT MODE. SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS MAY BECOME NECESSARY. HERE ARE SOME SAFETY RULES TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED OR IS OCCURRING.

IF A WARNING IS ISSUED…SEEK SHELTER INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. A SEVERE  THUNDERSTORM IS DEFINED AS PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE OR GREATER HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR MORE.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8 PM (see graphic). Main threats are locally severe wind gusts and large hail! pic.twitter.com/rr9cYFpPV2

— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) July 18, 2016

Flickr pool photo by Joseph Gruber