UPDATE 5:23 p.m.: Strong rain storms moved through the Northeast Mississippi area Monday. The threat of severe weather seems to have passed.

JACKSON - Nearly 30 counties in north Mississippi were under a tornado watch Monday as a line of severe weather threatened to push hail, heavy rain and damaging winds into the state.

Latrice Maxie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said a line of severe weather that was pushing across the parts of the south could bring strong winds, hail and tornados to Mississippi by Monday afternoon.

She said the entire northern third of the state was under a tornado watch until late afternoon.

She said the possibility for severe weather could reach down into central Mississippi, but the biggest threat was in Delta and the northern potions of the state.

Forecast Today: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 p.m.. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. High near 83. Windy, with a south southwest wind between 25 and 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to between 5 and 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tornado Watch

Tornado watch in effect until 5 p.m. for following locations:

ALCORN

BENTON

BOLIVAR

CALHOUN

CARROLL

CHICKASAW

COAHOMA

DESOTO

GRENADA

ITAWAMBA

LAFAYETTE

LEE

LEFLORE

MARSHALL

MONROE

MONTGOMERY

PANOLA

PONTOTOC

PRENTISS

QUITMAN

SUNFLOWER

TALLAHATCHIE

TATE

TIPPAH

TISHOMINGO

TUNICA

UNION

WEBSTER

YALOBUSHA

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