UPDATE 3:15 A.M.:
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Fulton County near the College Park area that tracked northeast at 45 mph, with Clayton and DeKalb also under the tornado warning.
The warning for those three counties was canceled by 2:52 a.m.
Counties to the west of the metro area were beginning to be removed from the tornado watch that had covered a large portion of the state. By 3:15, more of metro Atlanta had seen the worst of the storms pass by.
Jasper, Putnam and Lamar were among counties outside the metro area that were under tornado warnings overnight as well.
UPDATE 11:50 P.M.:
The National Weather Service issued just before midnight a tornado watch for much of North Georgia through 7 a.m. Metro Atlanta is under the watch, including Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz warns that the area is at high risk for strong, long-track tornadoes. Such tornadoes could be on the ground for many miles, Nitz said. He also warned that in addition to tornadoes, the area also faces a high risk for damaging winds that could include straight-line winds of 75 mph or greater from the thunderstorms.
The heaviest storms will likely reach the heart of metro Atlanta about 2 a.m., said Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Glenn Burns.
The tornado risk for metro Atlanta should end by 4 a.m. though the tornado watch area includes many other counties to the south and east of metro Atlanta that could face the storms' impact as they move through the state.
The counties under the tornado watch: Baker, Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Calhoun, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dawson, Decatur, DeKalb, Dooly, Dougherty, Douglas, Early, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Lee, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Monroe, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Quitman, Randolph, Rockdale, Schley, Seminole, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Terrell, Towns, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Webster, White, Whitfield, Wilkes and Wilkinson.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Most residents were already sheltering in their homes to help curb the spread of COVID-19 on this Easter Sunday, but some families could end up having to take cover in bathrooms and basements to protect themselves from the severe weather expected to hit overnight.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologists said the threat for severe weather across North Georgia has increased steadily throughout the day. Now most of metro Atlanta is at a high risk for strong tornadoes and damaging winds in addition to the threat of flash flooding, Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz said on Sunday evening.
The heaviest storms will likely reach the heart of metro Atlanta about 2 a.m., said Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Glenn Burns. When they arrive, they’re expected to bring winds of more than 75 mph and possibly tornadoes.
The northwest corner of the state could expect the storms to pummel that area by 11 p.m. Sunday. The National Weather Service has issued at tornado watch for that part of the state. The watch was originally scheduled to end at 11 p.m. but has been extended to 1 a.m.
Channel 2 reported that a tornado was confirmed in north Chattooga County on Sunday evening.
» RELATED: What you need to know if there's a tornado
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The storm could also produce heavy rain, leading to flash floods in portions of the state that are prone to flooding. Up to 2 inches is possible in some areas, Channel 2 meteorologist Eboni Deon said.
“We are expecting a severe weather outbreak from the lower Mississippi Valley all the way into North Georgia,” she said, “especially late into the evening and overnight ... Know where you will go in the event that severe weather strikes in your area and also have a way of getting weather alerts sent to you.”
A cold front moves in afterward and should clear things up.
Once the rain moves out Monday morning, the rest of the day is expected to be cloudy and dry with highs in the mid-70s.
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