Tornado Watch in Effect Until 8 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for much of New Jersey, including Ocean and Monmouth counties.

The watch is in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday. The NWS is warning of possible hail up to 2 inches in diameter, thunderstorm wind gusts up to 70 mph, and dangerous lightning.

Although officials urge caution and advise being on the lookout for severe weather, the tornado watch is a less urgent declaration than a tornado warning, which is an indication a tornado has actually been detected. 

The NWS warns scattered thunderstorms will continue to intensify over parts of Vermont, New York and Pennsylvania, then track east across parts of New England, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey through the afternoon. It states a "very unstable air mass" has developed in the region, which combined with other conditions will pose a risk of supercell storms. 

Also under the watch are portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, western Maine, New Hampshire, southeast New York, southeast Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. 

The NWS offers the following advice in the event of a tornado:

• The safest place to be is an underground shelter, basement, or safe room.
• If no underground shelter or safe room is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building is the safest alternative.
• Mobile homes are not safe during tornadoes. Abandon mobile homes and go to the nearest sturdy building or shelter immediately.
• If you are caught outdoors, seek shelter in a basement, shelter or sturdy building.
• If you cannot quickly walk to a shelter, immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter.
• If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Stay in your vehicle with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows, covering with your hands and a blanket if possible. If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, exit your car, and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.