On Friday at 4:40 a.m. the National Weather Service released a severe thunderstorm warning in effect until 5:30 a.m. for Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

Parts of New Jersey are getting an abrupt awakening with severe thunderstorms, hail and wind, prompting the National Weather Service to issue severe thunderstorm warnings in the southern half of the state. Thunderstorm warnings were issued around 5 a.m. for for parts of Ocean, and Burlington counties, after pushing through Camden County.

Intense thunderstorms are expected to unleash rounds of heavy rain that could bring dangerous flooding to tens of millions of people in the central and eastern US this week.

The highest chance of severe wind gusts is in the southern third of Lower Michigan. Even the middle third of Lower Michigan is in a 15 percent to 29 percent chance of some severe wind gusts. Also notice all of us in southern Michigan have the black hatched area, meaning 75 mph gusts are possible.

While CT has a chance for scattered thunderstorms on Thursday, storms won't be nearly as widespread as a large portion of the country is seeing.

The rest of the central Alabama and all of south Alabama have no severe weather risk and may not get any rain at all today and tonight, according to the weather service. It will also be windy today, and wind advisories have been issued for a large part of the state (the counties in brown below):

HOUSTON — Expect breezy and warm temperatures today as you head out the door. Winds will gust close to 40 mph. Make sure to secure loose objects around the house today. Afternoon highs will reach upper 80s with some areas hitting 90. Skies will be mostly cloudy.

Watches typically cover extensive areas, sometimes spanning multiple counties or states, and can remain in effect for several hours. During a watch, it's advisable to stay vigilant, monitor weather updates, and be prepared to seek shelter if conditions deteriorate.