By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The CBS 17 Storm Team has called a Weather Alert Day in central North Carolina for Saturday with a threat of severe storms — and the National Weather Service has now issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 8 p.m.
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The severe thunderstorm watch was issued just after 1 p.m. Saturday for all of central North Carolina, with wind gusts up to 70 mph likely, the weather service said.
Nearly all of North Carolina is under a slight risk (Level 2) of severe weather for Saturday, with damaging winds and large hail as the main threats.
The severe thunderstorm watch also includes nearly all of North Carolina — all the way to the Tennessee border.
The only North Carolina areas not under the severe thunderstorm watch are a handful of mountain areas and eastern counties, along with those on the coast.
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“Loosely organized thunderstorm clusters will likely pose a threat for mainly scattered damaging winds as they spread east-southeastward through the afternoon and evening,” the watch said.
Forecasters said large hail to 1.5 inches in diameter are possible during the storms.
Areas east of Wayne County and Sampson County are not in the watch area.
“A severe thunderstorm watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area,” the National Weather Service said.
The weather service said people in the watch areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions.
Read more Central North Carolina under severe thunderstorm watch Saturday