Tornado Touches Down in St. Louis Friday Afternoon, Severe Threat Shifts East Tonight

A large tornado tore through the city of St. Louis earlier on Friday, with widespread damage being reported. Unfortunately, there have been reports of fatalities.

As the supercell moved in from the west, low-level rotation tightened considerably, and a Tornado Warning was issued. The tornadic circulation moved from west to north of downtown and crossed over into Illinois before weakening.

The National Weather Service in St. Louis will go out on Saturday and survey the tornado damage:

The St. Louis metro is no longer under a threat of severe thunderstorms for the rest of the evening. However, areas further to the east are under a severe threat, including the risk of strong tornadoes. Tornado Watches remain in place until the early morning hours of Saturday, including parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and West Virginia.