UPDATE 5:30 P.M. TUESDAY

Another tornado warning has been issued, this one in the area including Hay Creek, south of Red Wing, where residents have also been told to take shelter.

Elsewhere in Minnesota, there have been reported of large branches being brought down and outdoor furniture blown away by strong winds.

Flights in and out of MSP are either being delayed, diverted, or held at their origin city.

Meanwhile Dodge Center, west of Rochester, has seen tennis ball sized hail.

UPDATE 4:45 P.M.

A tornado warning has been issued for an area of the southern Twin Cities metro, with residents advised to take shelter.

The area includes the cities of Apple Valley, Burnsville and Prior Lake, affecting a population of just over 180,000.

Tornado sirens have been going off in the affected areas, with the National Weather Service saying "strong rotation has been reported with this storm."

Those taking shelter include shoppers at a Target store in the south metro, who were kept inside at the direction of employees.

UPDATE: 1 P.M.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for much of central and eastern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Brainerd and Duluth.

According to the National Weather Service, the watch is in effect until 8 p.m. and "scattered large hail" is likely along with isolated "very large hail events." By very large hail, the weather service means hail stones could be as large as two inches in diameter – about the size of a lime.

Damaging wind gusts to 70 mph are also likely, along with a tornado or two possible.

SPC

"Multiple clusters of thunderstorms are expected to intensify this afternoon across the watch area, with a risk of damaging wind gusts and hail in the strongest activity," says the Storm Prediction Center.

"The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles east and west of a line from 40 miles east of Redwood Falls MN to 35 miles north northwest of Ely MN."

The simulated future radar (may not load in all browsers) from multiple computer models hasn't picked up on ongoing activity as of 1 p.m. in west-central Minnesota, where a severe storm with half dollar-sized hail was reported near Glenwood, but the future hours show clusters of storms blowing up and moving from northwest to southeast.