Wet conditions were the norm at Rock Creek Park on Monday.

Jacob Fenston / DCist

Update, 3:30 p.m.: The tornado watch in the D.C. area has been called off, according to the National Weather Service.

However, NWS is still issuing warnings about hazardous weather: A wind advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. and a coastal flooding advisory until 7 p.m.

Original: Nearly all of the D.C. metropolitan area is currently on tornado watch until 6 p.m. this evening.

The National Weather Service instituted the watch along with a wind advisory for gusts that could reach 55 miles per hour, a flood warning, and a coastal flood advisory, which all are in effect until later this afternoon. There may be an additional one to two inches of rain, in addition to the heavy rain that parts of the region have already seen today, per NWS.

NWS issues tornado watches for broad areas, and it calls on residents to remain alert because a tornado is possible. A tornado warning, meanwhile, is more severe: it means a tornado has already been spotted and “there is imminent danger to life and property,” per NWS.

There was a tornado watch further north in Maryland earlier today. Just after noon, tornadoes were possibly spotted west of Columbia, Maryland and in northern Stafford County, Virginia, according to the Capital Weather Gang.

Intense storms and wind will also be moving through Bethesda, Columbia, and crossing Interstate 95 at about 2:30 p.m. According to CWG, the National Weather Service describes the situation as “very dangerous” with wind gusts possibly reaching 80 miles per hour.

While tornadoes are rare within D.C. limits, they do happen with some regularity in the region. Nearly every year, there are confirmed tornadoes and they tend to occur regionally in the spring and summer.

D.C. Fire and EMS is using its Twitter account to pass along advice about how to identify a safe place to shelter in case of a tornado. This includes a small interior room like a closet or basement and to stay away from windows, doors, large open rooms, and outside walls.

We’ve updated this story with new information about the storm’s path.

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