Texas and Louisiana: Afternoon severe hail and damaging winds

Isolated severe storms are possible across central and southeast Texas through southwest Louisiana with large hail and strong winds being the main threats.

A deep layer of moisture coming in from the Gulf of Mexico crashing with a low-pressure system and frontal boundary will create some isolated severe storms across Texas and Louisiana Wednesday afternoon.

We forecast storms to start after 4 p.m. around College Station, Texas, and possibly extend near the Austin area. As the late afternoon progresses, storms will move south and likely affect the Houston metro area. Clusters of storms will likely extend all the way to the Lake Charles, La., area. Areas as far west as San Antonio could also experience some scattered thunderstorms with the risk of hail and damaging winds.

Wind gusts could exceed 60 mph. If you are anywhere in the areas mentioned or nearby, make sure to secure loose objects in your patio or gardens.

Make sure to keep your cars under a roof. Hail stones can damage cars. If you are outdoors and hear thunder, make sure to head indoors immediately.

On Thursday, there could be some isolated afternoon storms. These ones are not expected to be severe but are still a nuisance for afternoon activities for some. The front that shall pass on Wednesday will knock the temperatures down a couple of degrees for Thursday afternoon. Highs should reach the upper 80s.

Rain chances decrease more on Friday and the weekend, with only a 20 percent chance of isolated storms. Any storms that develop will be during the afternoon and mainly be driven by the sea breeze across coastal Southeast Texas.