Severe storms expected to hit Big Country overnight: Risks for high winds, hail & possible tornadoes

BIG COUNTRY, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – Storms are expected to start moving into the Big Country just after midnight and continue into early Monday morning. Here's what to expect.

The Storm Prediction Center has upgraded approximately one-third of the Big Country, including Abilene, to an Enhanced (3/5) risk for severe weather. The primary threats are expected to be straight-line wind gusts reaching up to 80 mph, along with the possibility of hail. A slightly elevated tornado threat has also been issued for tonight. This event is expected to occur quickly as the squall line moves through. Most areas in the Big Country will see rainfall amounts of around 1-2 inches, which may raise concerns about flooding.

Timing is expected to begin around 1:00 a.m. in the west and will finish between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. in our eastern counties, with Abilene likely around 3:00 a.m. on Monday. The timing may vary depending on the speed of the line.{/p/p} Governor Abbott has issued a state emergency response ahead of the weather, with Texas A&M Task Force 1 providing swift water rescue boat squads to assist with flooding.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.

A powerful typhoon wrecked houses, caused towering tidal surges and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to emergency shelters as it cut across the northern Philippines on Sunday in the sixth major storm to hit the country in less than a month. Typhoon Man-yi slammed into the eastern island province of Catanduanes on Saturday night with sustained winds of up to 195 kilometers (125 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 240 kph (149 mph). There were no immediate reports of casualties from the typhoon, which was forecast to blow northwestward on Sunday across northern Luzon, the archipelago's most populous region.