Weather radar: Tornado warning issued for Nash, Franklin counties

RALEIGH (WTVD) — Parts of the ABC11 viewing area are under a Category 3 “enhanced” risk for severe weather Thursday.

Current Warnings and Watches:

Tornado warning: Nash and Franklin counties until 3 p.m.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Nash, Warren, Vance, Halifax, Wake, Johnston and Franklin until 3 p.m.

Tornado watch: Entire Central North Carolina until 7 p.m.

Watch for live updates on these watches and warnings in the video player above.

Timelapse of severe weather moving through Durham

What’s the difference between a watch and a warning

Some schools even dismissed early as severe weather moved in to the area.

Click here for First Alert Doppler XP | Click here to view the latest weather advisories.

SEVERE WEATHER TIMELINE

Light and moderate rain moved into central North Carolina in the early morning hours.

The first severe weather warnings for the ABC11 viewing area began around 12:15 p.m.

A second round of severe weather is expected to move into the area around 4 p.m. and last through perhaps 8 p.m.

The afternoon storms could bring heavy rain, damaging wind and isolated tornadoes.

Areas west of Interstate 95 are under a Flood Watch through late Thursday night.

The storms will last through the afternoon and evening. They will move out of central North Carolina overnight.

After the storms, temperatures will briefly cool down — with a chance for below-freezing temperatures overnight Friday into Saturday morning. We will warm up by Monday and another chance of showers arrives Tuesday.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS

Alamance-Burlington Schools — Dismissing early
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools — Dismissing 2 hours early
Cumberland County Schools — Dismissing 1 hour early
Durham Public Schools – Dismissing 2 hours early

Franklin County Schools — Dismissing 2 hours early
Granville County Public Schools – Dismissing 2 hours early
Harnett County Schools – Dismissing 2 hours early
Hoke County Schools — All after-school activities cancelled
Johnston County Public Schools — All after-school activities cancelled
Moore County Schools — Dismissing 90 minutes early
Person County Schools — Dismissing 2 hours early
Roxboro Community School — Closing at 12:50 p.m.
Sampson County Schools — All after-school activities cancelled
Wake County Public School System — Dismissing 2 hours early