Tornado watch canceled for Monroe and area counties

Glenn Johnson News10NBC

UPDATE: The tornado watch for Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Steuben, Yates, and Livingston counties was canceled.

UPDATE: There’s a tornado watch for Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Yates, Steuben, and Livingston counties on Wednesday. News10NBC has issued a Red Alert because of the tornado warning and because of severe storms that could bring flooding, damaging winds, downpours, and lightning.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — All of Western New York is now under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. on Wednesday. A watch means that there is the potential, or the ingredients, for severe storms or an isolated tornado. A warning would mean that a tornado is in progress or imminent for a particular area and time frame. 

Any storms on Wednesday have the potential to bring heavy torrential rain, damaging straight-line winds, lightning, and even an isolated tornado. Severe weather could arrive on Wednesday afternoon and possibly into Wednesday evening. You can learn more about tornadoes in Western New York here. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind over the next few hours

Before the storm:

  • Charge cell phone
  • Secure outdoor furniture
  • Never touch downed wires
  • Do not drive on flooded roads

When storms are close:

  • Seek sturdy shelter ASAP
  • Stay away from windows
  • Go to an interior room/basement
  • Get covered, if necessary (mattress etc.)

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch in our region that started at noon and lasts through 9 p.m. for Western New York and the Finger Lakes region. The last time our region recorded a tornado was two years ago. You can learn more about tornadoes in Western New York here.

Stay tuned to News 10NBC First Alert weather for updates on the forecast.