Update at 7:35 p.m. — Arlington is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… NORTHERN FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… SOUTHEASTERN LOUDOUN COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
* UNTIL 800 PM EDT
* AT 712 PM EDT… DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED OVER HERNDON… AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON… ROCKVILLE… GAITHERSBURG… HERNDON… FAIRFAX… VIENNA… FALLS CHURCH… RESTON… SOUTH RIDING… PIMMIT HILLS… MANTUA… DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT… GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY… NATIONALS PARK… AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE… OLNEY… BETHESDA… HOWARD UNIVERSITY… MCLEAN AND FORT TOTTEN.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. ALTHOUGH A TORNADO IS NOT IMMEDIATELY LIKELY… IF ONE IS SPOTTED… ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY STRUCTURE… SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.
Update at 5:40 p.m. — The evening’s first storm has passed and blue skies have returned. The storm knocked out power to more than 3,000 Dominion customers in the Falls Church area and caused some damage in Arlington.
Trees were reported down on 26th Street N., near Marymount University and on 25th Street near S. Dinwiddie Street. A large branch was reported down at N. Fillmore Street and Pershing Drive.
Earlier: The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for Arlington County and much of the surrounding D.C. area.
The watch is in effect through 8:00 p.m. Forecasters say strong storms or even tornados are possible tonight.
From NWS:
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN AREAS UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING. SEVERE THREATS ARE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS…LARGE HAIL…AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND LOCALIZED FLOODING TONIGHT.