A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued until 6 p.m. for parts of Montgomery County, including Germantown, North Potomac and Damascus, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
A severe thunderstorm watch also has been issued for parts of northwestern Montgomery County until 11 p.m., according to the NWS.
A thunderstorm watch indicates the possibility of severe weather while a warning indicates severe weather is happening or is about to happen, according to the NWS.
The primary threat of the storms, the NWS said, will be damaging winds. The storm will contain winds of up to 70 miles per hour, and the potential for quarter-sized hail.
A flood watch has also been issued for Montgomery County until midnight Friday. According to the NWS, heavy rain and excessive runoff may result in flooding.