The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch Saturday until 12 a.m. on Sunday. The watch includes eastern Iowa, parts of Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin.

According to the National Weather Service, tornadoes are possible with southerly wind gusts ranging from 35 to 45 miles per hour. The Storm Prediction Center has placed eastern Iowa in an enhanced risk of three out of five for severe weather. 

The Storm Prediction Center uses a rating system to categorize expected severe weather. Level three is an enhanced risk of severe storm coverage that has varying levels of intensity. Thunderstorms are expected in the afternoon through Saturday night.

The alert also listed hail reaching up to two inches as a possibility. Over 1.5 million people are in the area under the tornado watch, which includes 739 schools and 51 hospitals, according to the National Weather Service. 

The National Weather Service reported one to two inches of rainfall is possible and a flood watch has been issued for southeast Iowa.

Iowa City saw strong storms on April 16, which resulted in 15 tornadoes across Iowa with 1,900 residents experiencing power outages in Johnson County. In March 2023, Johnson County saw severe weather, including a tornado that touched down in eastern Iowa on March 31 that damaged homes and businesses in Johnson County.