ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Waves of strong to severe storms are sweeping across the region today. The first wave rolled through the St Louis area this morning. The National Weather Service issued a severe storm warning that expired at 12:15 pm.

A Tornado Warning has been issued for St. Louis City, St. Louis, Madison, St. Clair, and St. Charles until 5:45 pm. Tornado sirens are going off in the area. Take shelter now if you are in the warned area.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Clinton, St. Clair, Randolph, Washington, and Monroe counties until 6:30 pm.

A confirmed tornado was spotted near Ladue and there are favorable conditions in west St. Louis County for tornadic activity.

I-55 has flooded near Loughborough Avenue. The high water has flooded the highway and vehicles are stuck. It is not clear when the water will clear. Check our traffic map here for the latest road conditions.

St. Louis and St. Charles Counties are among those under are under a tornado watch until 11:00 pm. The warning extends to many areas in southern Missouri and Illinois.

A tornado watch means that the conditions in our atmosphere are favorable for severe weather. But as soon as a tornado warning is issued, it’s time to take cover inside of a sturdy structure because severe weather is immediate or actively occurring. 

This is a day to remain weather aware and make sure you have your notifications turned on for the FOX 2 Weather app. Meteorologist Chris Higgins will be chasing the storms. Stay tuned to FOX 2’s news app and Facebook page for alerts and live video.

Tonight is expected to be dry with a very warm start Friday morning. Another round of showers and thunderstorms are expected to move into the area late Friday. They should continue through Saturday.