Weather forecast for Detroit for Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Expect showers and thunderstorms with temperatures around 86 degrees.
Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to sweep across Southeast Michigan Tuesday afternoon and evening, with forecasters warning the greatest threats will be damaging wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain.
Severe thunderstorm warnings and special weather statements were issued Tuesday afternoon for portions of southeastern Michigan as storms pushed northeast across the region.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued Tuesday afternoon for parts of Oakland County, including Pontiac, Troy, Rochester Hills, Birmingham, Southfield, Farmington Hills, Wixom and Lake Orion, as strong storms moved through Metro Detroit. The warning, in effect until 4:45 p.m., warned of wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail.
Another severe thunderstorm warning was issued Tuesday afternoon for portions of Wayne County, including Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Westland, Taylor, Romulus, Hamtramck and New Boston. The warning remained in effect until 5 p.m. and warned of wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail.
A special weather statement was issued for portions of Macomb County, including Warren, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township, Utica, Fraser, Richmond, Armada, New Haven and New Baltimore. The statement remained in effect until 5:15 p.m. and warned of wind gusts up to 50 mph, though no hail was expected.
Communities in Lapeer and St. Clair counties — including Almont, Capac, Imlay City and Yale — could also see wind gusts up to 50 mph and hail ranging from penny-sized to as large as a quarter.
Radar showed a broken line of storms stretching from near Ann Arbor through Livingston and Oakland counties and toward the Thumb region, with forecasters warning additional warnings could be issued as the storms intensified and moved east through the evening commute.
The weather service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for much of southeast Michigan until 7 p.m. Tuesday. Meteorologists said a corridor of storms developing ahead of an approaching cold front could produce wind gusts up to 60 mph, isolated hail up to quarter size and frequent lightning as the system moves from southwest to northeast at roughly 40 to 45 mph.
A broken line of strong to severe thunderstorms will move across the area Tuesday afternoon and into the early evening hours, the weather service said in a radar update issued shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday. While the tornado threat was listed as minimal, forecasters warned that isolated severe storms remained possible throughout the region during the peak heating hours of the afternoon.
The most likely window for severe weather across southeastern Michigan is between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., according to the weather service, with conditions expected to improve by around 7 p.m. Forecasters advised residents to have multiple ways to receive weather warnings and to remain alert for rapidly changing conditions through the evening commute.
