A tornado watch has been issued for Northwestern and North Central Ohio.

The tornado watch will be in effect until midnight for Richland, Marion, Crawford, Ottawa, Sandusky, Erie, Lucas, Knox, Wood, Hancock, Morrow, Seneca, Wyandot and Huron counties, according to Rick Garuckas, a meteorologist with the Cleveland office of the National Weather Service.

“There could be a few storms that could rotate tonight,” Garuckas said. “Those could produce a few tornados.”

The greatest threat to Ohio will be between 7 and 10 p.m.

“That’s the best window of time when people need to be on the lookout,” Garuckas said.

Thursday afternoon the storm system dumped quarter-inch hail in central Indiana.

Quarter-sized hail and wind gusts over 60 mph are expected in Ohio throughout the evening Thursday.

“There is a little bit of uncertainty just how far north the threat will go,” Garuckas said.

The worst weather will hit the general area west and north of Interstate-71.

Residents of the affected counties should take a few moments Thursday evening to be sure they have a safe place to shelter in case a tornado warning is issued.

“A basement is best,” Garuckas said. “If they don’t have a basement, they need to go to an interior room like a bathroom or a closet where there are no windows.”

Cellphones and weather radios should be fully charged and turned on so that developing threats are recognized immediately.

ztuggle@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Tornado watch issued Thursday for Northwestern and North Central Ohio