A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for Wednesday, June 18, for all of central Ohio and 25 other Ohio counties.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued the watch for Franklin, Delaware, Licking, Pickaway, Union, Fairfield, and Madison counties in central Ohio and the other counties until 10 p.m. June 18.
What’s the difference between a severe thunderstorm watch and a warning?
A severe thunderstorm watch is issued when severe thunderstorms are possible. The National Weather Service defines a severe thunderstorm as a storm with winds of 58 mph or higher and/or hail one inch in diameter or larger.
A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when a storm is occurring or is imminent.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus weather: Severe thunderstorm watch issued for central Ohio