URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 580
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   230 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012

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

          SOUTHERN MARYLAND
          EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
          SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA
          COASTAL WATERS

   EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 230 PM UNTIL
   1000 PM EDT.

   HAIL TO 2 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 85
   STATUTE MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES EAST NORTHEAST
   OF WALLOPS VIRGINIA TO 45 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF FAYETTEVILLE
   NORTH CAROLINA.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
   ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

   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...LIFT AND CLOUDINESS ASSOCIATED WITH A WELL-DEFINED
   SHORT WAVE TROUGH CROSSING INTO WRN NC HAS ALLOWED FOR THE
   DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG TEMPERATURE CONTRAST/COLD FRONT ACROSS THE
   PIEDMONT THIS AFTERNOON. LOW LEVEL ASCENT ACROSS THIS ADVANCING
   BOUNDARY...IN ADDITION TO LARGER SCALE SUPPORT FROM THE UPPER WAVE
   AND ASSOCIATED STRONGER WIND FIELDS WILL ACT TO PROMOTE ORGANIZED
   TSTMS ACROSS THE WATCH AREA THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND INTO
   EVENING. A FEW SUPERCELLS AS WELL AS EVENTUAL LINE SEGMENTS APPEAR
   POSSIBLE GIVEN ABUNDANT CAPE AND WEAK CINH COUPLED WITH SHEAR AOA
   30KT. WHILE LARGE HAIL AND HIGH WINDS SHOULD BE THE MAIN
   HAZARDS...AN ISOLATED/BRIEF TORNADO OR TWO CANNOT BE COMPLETELY
   RULED OUT AS LONG AS DISCRETE STORMS EXHIBIT SUPERCELL
   CHARACTERISTICS.