Tornado watch issued for parts of central Florida

Pay attention to the weather Thursday in Central Florida.

News 6 declared a weather alert day as an approaching cold front will bring rain, lightning and storms to areas near and north of Interstate 4 in the afternoon.

A tornado watch is in effect for Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

A confirmed tornado that damaged homes in St. Johns County subdivisions was caught on camera.

As the front moves southeast, expect wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph, occasional lightning, and locally heavy rain.

As the sun sets, activity will decrease as the front progresses south through the region.

The main severe weather threat is near and north of Orlando. Weaker atmospheric conditions further south are expected to lessen the severity of storms.

Although the risk is low, a brief tornado cannot be completely ruled out.

Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday, winds will decrease and shift from west to northwest as the cold front moves offshore.

By Saturday, winds will shift to the northeast, with gusts up to 25 mph as high pressure builds over the Deep South.

Expect sunny skies, with high temperatures ranging from the mid 70s to low 80s along the coast and low to mid 80s west of I-95.

Overnight lows will dip into the upper 50s to mid 60s on Friday and into the mid 50s to low 60s on Saturday.