Heavy rain is already moving into the Oxford area and the radar is lighting up with red as severe thunderstorms move into the North Mississippi region tonight.

Strong storms including large hail, high winds and the potential for tornadoes exists tonight. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch tonight, in effect until 11 p.m., for areas in North Mississippi including Oxford, Water Valley, Batesville, Tupelo and New Albany.

The watch was issued late this afternoon and is in effect until 11 p.m. tonight.

“THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 505 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN MISSISSIPPI THIS WATCH INCLUDES 18 COUNTIES IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALCORN BENTON CALHOUN CHICKASAW ITAWAMBA LAFAYETTE LEE MARSHALL MONROE PANOLA PONTOTOC PRENTISS QUITMAN TALLAHATCHIE TIPPAH TISHOMINGO UNION YALOBUSHA IN TENNESSEE THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES IN WEST TENNESSEE CHESTER HARDEMAN HARDIN MCNAIRY THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF… ABERDEEN… AMORY… ASHLAND… BATESVILLE… BOLIVAR… BOONEVILLE… BRUCE… CALHOUN CITY… CHARLESTON… COFFEEVILLE… CORINTH… FULTON… HENDERSON… HOLLY SPRINGS… HOUSTON… IUKA… MARKS… NEW ALBANY… OKOLONA… OXFORD… PONTOTOC… RIPLEY MS… SAVANNAH… SELMER… TUPELO AND WATER VALLEY.”