Butler County is under a severe thunderstorm watch until 7 p.m. Sunday.

“It's fairly hot and humid,” said Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service of Pittsburgh. “There's also a disturbance moving this way from the northwest.”

The service placed Butler County and 14 other counties under a severe thunderstorm watch as of 12:50 p.m. The watch notes that conditions in the county and region make severe thunderstorms possible and even likely.

“Showers and thunderstorms (are) likely, mainly after 4 p.m.,” said the service's forecast for the county. “Chance of precipitation is 60%.”

Sunday's weather is just the start of a hazardous weather outlook, spanning until Monday night, that includes many opportunities for severe thunderstorms.

This is an excerpt from an article that will appear in Monday's Butler Eagle.