Wisconsin tornado warnings, watches expire Thursday

MILWAUKEE - National Weather Service tornado warnings and watches for southeast Wisconsin have now expired on Thursday, May 15.

The NWS said a confirmed tornado was located over Mayville around 6 p.m. Dodge County Emergency Management reported damage to Mayville High School and Mayville Engineering Co.

The tornado watch covered all counties – Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha. Warnings popped up for Dodge, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan and Washington counties.

This is a breaking news update. The previous report is available below.

Storm threat in SE Wisconsin

What we know:

The Storm Prediction Center has southwest Wisconsin under an enhanced risk, which is level 3 out of 5. There is the potential for large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Wind gusts could be as high as 70 mph. The line of storms will be moving fast, therefore flooding is not expected. Large hail over 2" and a strong tornado cannot be ruled out.

The storms will begin to develop in southwest Wisconsin between 2 p.m. and 4 Pp.m., which is peak heating time.

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The warming of the atmosphere will help create an unstable environment. As storms continue to migrate eastward, the storms could intensify. The peak intensity timing will be anywhere from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The highest confidence in storms will be north of I-94. However, we can't rule out isolated intense storms for areas south of I-94.

Another thing to factor in is the lake breeze and what that will do for the lakeside areas. The lake breeze could spin up a brief tornado along the lake. The lake breeze acts as its own boundary. Once the storms pass the lake breeze boundary, the storms could weaken as they interacts with the cooler air.

The storms should be out of the area by 9 p.m., leaving mostly clear skies for the night.

FOX6 Weather Extras

Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:

FOX6 Storm Center app

FOX LOCAL Mobile app

FOX Weather app

What is the FOX Model?

FOX Weather Expert Tom Wachs explains the value of the FOX Model for our team -- and our viewers.

Maps and radar

We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.

School and business closings

When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.