National Weather Service Issues Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Tornado Watch for Richfield

At 4:20 p.m. Sunday, May 19, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Richfield. That's on top of the Tornado Watch issued earlier today.

The severe thunderstorm warning ends at 5 p.m. Sunday. The tornado watch ends at 9 p.m. Sunday.

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Following a morning of thunderstorms and hail in areas of the Twin Cities, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for Hennepin County around 1:20 p.m. Sunday, May 19.

The tornado watch is in effect until 9 p.m. Sunday. The county is also under a hazardous weather outlook, according to the Twin Cities National Weather Service. Thunderstorms with possible heavy rain are forecast throughout the night with the potential for high winds and hail. 

The Twin Cities National Weather Service wrote:

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 105 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 70 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF REDWOOD FALLS MINNESOTA TO 25 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF WATERLOO IOWA.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

According to the Twin Cities National Weather Service website, the following counties are included in the tornado watch:

ANOKA

BLUE EARTH

BROWN

CARVER

CHIPPEWA

CHISAGO

COTTONWOOD

DAKOTA

DODGE

FARIBAULT

FILLMORE

FREEBORN

GOODHUE

HENNEPIN

HOUSTON

ISANTI

JACKSON

KANDIYOHI

LAC QUI PARLE

LE SUEUR

LYON

MARTIN

MCLEOD

MEEKER

MOWER

MURRAY

NICOLLET

OLMSTED

POPE

RAMSEY

REDWOOD

RENVILLE

RICE

SCOTT

SHERBURNE

SIBLEY

STEARNS

STEELE

STEVENS

SWIFT

WABASHA

WASECA

WASHINGTON

WATONWAN

WINONA

WRIGHT

YELLOW MEDICINE