ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. government forecasters are using a relatively rare “high-risk” designation — the highest category they use — to warn that a major tornado outbreak appears likely Wednesday in an area that’s home to about 2.5 million people.

Supercell thunderstorms could produce multiple long-lived EF3 or stronger tornadoes today in the mid-Mississippi and lower Ohio valleys. Tornadoes, destructive straight-line winds and damaging hail will also impact a much larger area of the Midwest and South.

The WXII 12 First Warning Weather team is monitoring the chance for a few rain showers and isolated storms Wednesday evening along a warm front in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina. The warm front moving into Winston-Salem and Greensboro is part of a weather system that will impact our neighbors to the west tonight with a threat of nocturnal tornadoes.