Indiana Tornado Watch: Merrillville, Crown Point, Gary, Lake County on alert

Severe storms triggered tornado watches across central and southern Indiana, affecting areas including Merrillville and Crown Point.

Severe storms prompted tornado watches across central and southern Indiana, mainly in Merrillville, Crown Point, Gary, and Lake County area, on Friday night as a powerful weather system moved into the region.

Tornado watches were issued for central and southern Indiana as severe storms approached.(Representational Image/ UnSplash)

Officials issued two separate tornado watches, both in effect until 4 a.m. ET, covering multiple counties.

The National Weather Service Issues a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION Tornado Warning for southwestern Indiana. It means an elevated threat level and a more assured chance of tornadoes of EF-2 or higher.

Notably, this is the first time since November 2013 that any part of Indiana has been placed under a PDS tornado watch.

The following counties were on a general tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service:

Benton

Fountain

Martin

Parke

Tippecanoe

Warren

Warrick

Clay

Greene

Montgomery

Putnam

Vermillion

Daviess

Knox

Owen

Sullivan

Vigo

Storm prediction center warns of tennis ball-sized hail

Multiple counties in Illinois are included in the same tornado watch, extending the area of concern beyond Indiana’s borders. Meanwhile, another tornado watch has been extended until 10 AM EDT, covering central, southern, and eastern Indiana as the severe weather threat persists.

In northern Indiana, a separate severe thunderstorm watch will remain in effect until 9 AM EDT Saturday morning.

U.S. Storm Prediction Center reported the region could experience multiple tornadoes, with some potentially strong. The forecast also warns of scattered hail up to the size of tennis balls and widespread wind gusts reaching speeds of up to 80 mph.

Notably, earlier, Missouri was rattled by a dangerous storm system. State Gov. Mike Kehoe issued a state of emergency, stating, “The National Weather Service has warned that this fast-approaching storm is likely to bring severe weather across the state, including high winds and an increased risk of tornadoes.”

“I urge all Missourians to stay alert, monitor weather forecasts, and follow official warnings.”