Storms pound state; more on the way

Live blog: Severe weather June 21, 2013

A round of strong to severe thunderstorms produced damaging winds, hail and very heavy rainfall over Minnesota overnight and early this morning.

Here are some reports of severe weather from the National Weather Service.

A meteorologist from the Duluth National Weather Service office captured this image early this morning which identifies an eye to the storm in northern Minnesota based on the radar signature.

Heavy rainfall, with amounts exceeding three inches, accumulated from near Alexandria to north of Brainerd.

Clouds have begun to clear out and this will allow for surface heating.  Temperatures climbing well into the 80s with dew points in the upper 60s will create an environment favorable for thunderstorms to fire up later today.

The Storm Prediction Center has much of Minnesota again in a risk for severe storms. Locally heavy rains are also likely again tonight.  The threat for tornadoes is the highest in southwest Minnesota  and adjacent states this afternoon and evening.

You can track NWS Watches, Warnings and statements here.

Stay alert for rapidly changing weather and be prepared to seek shelter if warnings are issued for your area.

Update: 

The NWS just released this tornado watch:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 336

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

200 PM CDT FRI JUN 21 2013

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

NORTHWEST IOWA

SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL MINNESOTA

EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA

* EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING UNTIL

1000 PM CDT.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...

SEVERAL TORNADOES POSSIBLE

NUMEROUS DAMAGING WIND GUSTS LIKELY WITH A FEW SIGNIFICANT GUSTS

TO 80 MPH POSSIBLE

SEVERAL LARGE HAIL EVENTS LIKELY WITH A FEW VERY LARGE HAIL

EVENTS TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE