URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 496
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
215 PM EDT Sat Jul 18 2026

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of 
  District Of Columbia
  Much of Maryland
  North central and northeats North Carolina
  Central and eastern Virginia
  The eastern West Virginia Panhandle
  Coastal Waters

* Effective this Saturday afternoon and evening from 215 PM until
  900 PM EDT.

* Primary threats include...
  Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
  Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

SUMMARY...Scattered thunderstorms have formed along and immediately
east of the higher terrain.  These storms will spread eastward
through late evening with the potential to produce wind damage and
isolated large hail.

The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 80
statute miles east and west of a line from 30 miles northeast of
Hagerstown MD to 20 miles southwest of Raleigh NC. For a complete
depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
favorable for 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. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
tornadoes.

&&

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 492...WW 493...WW
494...WW 495...

AVIATION...A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean storm motion vector
27020.

...Thompson