A tornado watch is in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday, May 15. The National Weather Service issued the watch for 21 Minnesota counties, including Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties. The watch was issued shortly after 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

Severe storms and tornadoes hit Wisconsin and Minnasota on Thursday with a new round of severe thunderstorms expected on Friday

The threat of tornadoes looms over much of Minnesota Thursday as severe storms blow across the state and into western Wisconsin.