SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1215 PM UNTIL 700 PM CDT

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 552
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   1215 PM CDT FRI AUG 3 2012
   
   THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
   
          CENTRAL ALABAMA
          CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
   
   EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1215 PM UNTIL
   700 PM CDT.
   
   HAIL TO 1.5 INCHES 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 50
   STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES SOUTH
   SOUTHWEST OF GREENWOOD MISSISSIPPI TO 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF SELMA
   ALABAMA.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
   ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).
   
   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...DIFFERENTIAL HEATING ON THE S EDGE OF A CLOUD BAND
   ACROSS NRN MS/AL WILL PROMOTE NEW THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS
   AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL MS/AL.  STRONG INSTABILITY IS ALREADY
   PRESENT ACROSS THIS AREA /MLCAPE AOA 3000 J PER KG/...AND EFFECTIVE
   BULK SHEAR OF 25-30 KT WILL SUPPORT A RISK FOR ORGANIZED MULTICELL
   CLUSTERS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS AND ISOLATED
   LARGE HAIL THIS AFTERNOON.
   
   AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
   TO 1.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
   KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM
   MOTION VECTOR 36015.