BATON ROUGE – Meteorologists with the Severe Storm Prediction Center upgraded the area’s risk of severe weather Thursday from slight to enhanced.

Watch WBRZ newscasts Tuesday night at 6:00, 6:30, 10:00, 10:30 and again Wednesday morning from 5 a.m. - nine; Noon – 1 and the evening time periods for the late-breaking forecast information as the storm threat is modified ahead of its arrival Thursday.

An enhanced risk of severe weather can include a higher potential for tornadoes, frequent lightning, winds on scales of 58 mph to 70 mph or possibly greater and hail between 1 or 2 inches and possibly larger.

“Damaging winds and a few tornadoes are possible, especially across parts of Louisiana into southern and central Mississippi where an Enhanced Risk has been added,” NOAA said Tuesday afternoon.

Weather forecasts can change frequently. It’s important to watch important weather updates on Channel 2 and monitor smartphone notifications for weather updates and impromptu weather reports on social media and WBRZ+, the local cable news channel.