A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for parts of the region until 7 p.m. Monday. The following counties in North Carolina are under the Severe Thunderstorm Watch: Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg and Union. The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has also been issued for the follow ing counties in South Carolina: Chester, Lancaster and York. The line of thunderstorms coming in from the west out of Alabama has generally held together and is now pushing into Georgia and Eastern Tennessee. It is showing some signs of reintensifying with the surge of warm, humid air building in from the south over the region — creating fuel for the storms, as the atmosphere destabilizes. This setup means damaging winds remain the primary severe threat within the main line of storms. However, a brief tornado, or two can’t be ruled out especially within the line. The severe threat will  increase by 2 p.m. and end locally by sunset this evening as the storms press east. PREVIOUS UPDATE: 10am 3/31 The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted a level 3 (out of 5) severe threat for much of the region this afternoon. A strong cold front will bring the potential for severe storms capable of producing damaging wind and a few isolated tornadoes. Ahead of the cold front, warm and moist air is surging in the south. That’s helping to build instability – essentially the fuel thunderstorms need to grow. At the same time, strong upper level winds just above the surface will help the storms organize and possibly rotate. If storms do develop, they could organize quickly. We saw showers and few storms weaken and fade over the mountains this morning. The second wave will arrive this afternoon as a stronger line that will redevelop and intensify over the region. The severe threat will likely be found within in this main line in segments that bow out, or even embedded rotating cells. However, we also need to watch for potential discrete cells ahead of the main line of storms. A break in the cloud cover could allow earlier destabilization of storms, and outflow from this morning’s storms could enhance low level spin. TIMELINE: 12-2pm – Mountains and Foothills 2-6pm – Charlotte Metro Region/Near the I-77 corridor 4-8pm – East of I-77 THREATS: Damaging Wind – Primary Threat, Gusts 60+ mph Isolated Tornadoes – Within stronger storm segments Hail – Up to Quarter-Sized Possible Heavy Rain – Fast moving storms should limit flooding The severe threat will end by sunset with cooler and drier air settling in briefly Tuesday, before temperatures heat up late week. The WeatherWise team will be tracking the storms throughout the day. You can stay updated on potential timing shifts and and alerts by downloading the WCCB Weather App. ...read more read less