Severe thunderstorm watch through 4 p.m.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Eastern Texas and coastal waters.   Effective from 9 a.m.  until 4 p.m. CST Tuesday: Hail to 1.5 inches in diameter...  thunderstorm wind gusts to 70 mph... and dangerous lightning are possible in these areas, the NWS said. The Severe Thunderstorm Watch area is approximately along and 105 statute miles north and south of a line from 45 miles south southwest of College Station Texas to 45 miles east southeast of Lufkin Texas. Remember... a Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes. As the upper wave shifts eastward through southern Texas and air mass continues to destabilize... thunderstorms are expected to intensify through the day.  Elevated storms developing over portions of southeastern TX will have an increasing chance for severe hail the next couple of hours. As the air mass continues warming...  the wind threat should increase this afternoon. Aviation... a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 1.5 inches.  Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with  maximum tops to 450. Mean storm motion vector 24030.