Tornado watch issued for parts of Central Indiana on Wednesday afternoon

The storms forecasted for Central Indiana have held off, though meteorologists still say severe weather is possible Wednesday.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis is predicting blustery winds with gusts reaching 40 mph. There’s a low confidence that severe storms may develop beginning at 10 a.m. through this afternoon.

Wednesday afternoon update includes tornado watch

NWS issued a tornado watch for much of eastern Indiana, including Hancock and Madison counties until 7 p.m.

Storms are continuing to develop across Central Indiana this afternoon with a potential for isolated severe weather as they develop, according to the latest NWS forecast.

People are also reading: Indiana tornado season is here. Is it a watch or warning? What to know during severe weather

How to stay safe during a tornado

Tornadoes develop rapidly, so planning a safety plan ahead of time is important.

The National Weather Service has a preparedness guide for all types of severe weather including tornadoes.

Here are some rules when a tornado strikes:

• Move to a basement of safe room
• If there’s no basement, find a windowless interior room or hallway
• Leave mobile homes and find the closest sturdy building
• If outside: get into a vehicle, buckle up and drive to a sturdy building

Wednesday weather in Indianapolis

While there’s a slight chance of severe storms hitting Indy today, forecasters say there’s a 20% chance of isolated and scattered thunderstorms.

The primary concerns for Hoosiers on Wednesday are damaging winds and large hail.

High temperatures could reach 74 degrees today with lows near 51 tonight.

Thursday forecast for Central Indiana

Showers and thunderstorms are expected in Central Indiana Thursday as a low pressure system moves into the area. Some storms could be severe in the afternoon or evening with the potential for damaging winds and heavy rainfall.

Thursday’s high temperature could reach 78 degrees while lows may dip down to 50 at night.

Later this week

The weekend is expected to cool down with highs of Friday reaching 61 degrees and Saturday and Sunday down into the mid-50s.

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Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Tornado watch issued for parts of Central Indiana on Wednesday afternoon