FARGO — The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for a broad area of southeast North Dakota, western Minnesota and central South Dakota.

According to the Weather Service, the watch is in effect until 11 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, for the following counties:

• North Dakota: Barnes, Cass, Dickey, Griggs, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele, Traill
• Minnesota: Big Stone, Clay, Norman, Traverse, Wilkin
• South Dakota: Aurora, Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clark, Codington, Davison, Day, Deuel, Douglas, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Gregory, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Hughes, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lake, Lyman, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Mellette, Miner, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Stanley, Sully, Todd, Tripp

The area includes the cities of Fargo and Wahpeton in North Dakota, Moorhead and Breckenridge in Minnesota, and Brookings, Mitchell and Pierre in South Dakota.

The National Weather Service website said that residents should be prepared when a tornado watch is issued. The watch means tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. The agency advised reviewing emergency plans, taking inventory of supplies and checking safe rooms. People are encouraged to be ready to act quickly in the event the watch escalates to a warning or emergency.

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