Tornado Warning issued by National Weather Service; 2:45 p.m.

National Weather Service issues tornado warning for Augusta and Highland counties. Tornado and golf ball size hail. Warning in effect 2:45 p.m. until 3:15 pm. Take cover now, NWS said.

SCHOOLS: School open houses, sports practices postponed Monday in Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta County

Tornado Watch issued by National Weather Service; 1:20 p.m.

National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch from 1:20 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7, for counties and cities throughout Virginia including Augusta County and Staunton and Waynesboro.

Virginia counties include Albemarle, Amelia, Arlington, Amelia, Caroline, Chesterfield, Clarke, Culpeper, Cumberland, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Goochland, Green, Hanover, Henrico, Highland, Kind, William, Loudoun, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren and Westmoreland.

Virginia cities include Alexandria, Charolottesville, Fairfax, Fall Church, Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Richmond, Staunton and Waynesboro.

UPDATE: National Weather Service issues Special Weather Statement; 12 p.m. Monday

Severe Weather Outbreak expected over the mid-Atlantic region between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. today, including the great Baltimore/Washington metropolitan areas, according to the National Weather Service.

An outbreak of severe storms is expected this afternoon and evening across the greater Baltimore/Washington region, with numerous severe thunderstorms expected.

There is a significant threat for damaging and locally destructive hurricane-force winds, along with the potential for large hail and tornadoes, even strong tornadoes.

The timing of this outbreak varies with your location.

West of the Blue Ridge Mountains, you can expect the storms to arrive between 12-3 p.m.. East of the Blue Ridge Mountains, timing will be from 4-8 p.m.

The greater Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan Areas can expect the storms to arrive between 5-7 p.m.

Now is the time to review your severe weather safety procedures for the possibility of dangerous weather today, said NWS.

Do not be outdoors when the storms arrive, said NWS.

"When you hear thunder, go indoors to a sturdy building or structure. While seeking shelter indoors, go to the lowest floor to an interior room. Stay away from windows. Those in mobile homes or weaker structures should plan ahead of time to shelter in a stronger shelter. Be prepared for extended power outages, and the potential for some roads to be blocked by fallen trees," the statement said.

"For the after-event cleanup, do not go outside until 30 minutes after you hear the last thunder, otherwise you will be still susceptible to lightning strikes. Be aware of downed power lines and unstable branches and trees.

"If a Severe Thunderstorm Warning or Tornado Warning is issued for your area, move to a place of safety, ideally in an interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building."

Storm Prediction Center issues moderate risk outlook; 11:30 a.m.

"The Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk outlook for the threat of Monday's storms across parts of the mid-Atlantic, including Baltimore and Washington, D.C.," said AccuWeather in a weather alert. "It has been at least five years since the SPC issued a moderate risk for severe weather in most of the Northeast, with the exception of south-central Virginia, which had one in 2019."

Thunderstorms will continue to build in intensity through the afternoon with the most intense weather conditions likely between 3 and 9 p.m., AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in an 11:30 a.m. weather alert story.

National Weather Service: Hazardous Weather Outlook; 9a.m. Monday

Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and large hail possible Monday, according to a hazardous weather outlook issued by National Weather Service at 9 a.m. Monday.

Areas affected include eastern West Virginia, northern and central Virginia, and central and western Maryland.

Numerous severe thunderstorms are expected to develop Monday afternoon and evening, NWS said. Damaging winds will be the primary threat; some of these winds may become locally destructive.

A few tornadoes and large hail are possible, NWS said. Isolated to scattered instances of flooding are also possible.

The News Leader reached out to AccuWeather for more information.

"We are concerned about the opportunity for severe weather in the Staunton area, and it would probably occur mainly during the afternoon and early evening hours," said AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Pydynowski. "There's sort of a timeframe from approximately three to seven o'clock, somewhere in there, where the threats would be most likely. I'd be most concerned about widespread damaging winds across the region with the storms as they roll through this afternoon.

"Hail and damaging winds and isolated tornadoes, those are all possible," said Pydynowski. "We could be looking at a line of thunderstorms that progresses across the area west to east, so there might not be a huge delineation from one place to another in terms of threats," he said about Augusta County and Waynesboro also seeing the same hazardous weather.

Areas per NWS include: Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren, Clarke, Nelson, Albemarle, Greene, Madison, Rappahannock, Orange, Culpeper, Fauquier, Loudoun. Blue Ridge, Central Virginia Blue Ridge, Northwest Prince William, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson, Hardy. Washington, Frederick. Carroll, northern Baltimore, northwest Montgomery, northwest Howard, northwest Harford.

No hazardous weather is expected Tuesday through Sunday.

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This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Severe storms, tornadoes, hail in Virginia: National Weather Service