SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF FAR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA NORTHERN FLORIDA INCLUDING THE PANHANDLE SOUTHERN GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1250 PM UNTIL 800 PM EDT

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 488
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1250 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

FAR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
NORTHERN FLORIDA INCLUDING THE PANHANDLE
SOUTHERN GEORGIA
COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1250 PM UNTIL
800 PM EDT.

HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 80
STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES EAST OF
APALACHICOLA FLORIDA TO 60 MILES NORTHEAST OF ALBANY GEORGIA.
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

DISCUSSION...TSTMS ARE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A
WEAK SURFACE LOW AND ALONG A LEE TROUGH WITHIN A THERMODYNAMIC
ENVIRONMENT FEATURING MLCAPE VALUES OF 3000+ J/KG. WHILE VERTICAL
SHEAR WILL REMAIN WEAK ACROSS THE REGION...HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT
WILL FOSTER INTENSE WET MICROBURSTS CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WINDS. SOME
HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 1 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.
A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM MOTION
VECTOR 36010.


...MEAD