The National Weather Service said confidence continues to increase that the state will have to deal with severe weather later today (Tuesday).

Most of the day will be on the dry side, but storms could develop by the afternoon and evening hours.

Tornadoes — including a strong one — winds to near hurricane force, large hail and flooding rain will all be possible, according to forecasters. Storms are expected to develop ahead of a cold front and push across the state from northwest to southeast.

The storms could reach northwest Alabama this afternoon or evening, according to the weather service, then track southward and eastward through the rest of the night. Eastern Alabama could be dealing with storms into the overnight hours.

All of this will be happening while the National Weather Service in Birmingham is in the middle of a long-planned software upgrade.

Forecasts, watches and warnings will not be affected, but NOAA Weather Radios across central Alabama will be offline through Wednesday, according to the weather service.

Here are the radio transmitters that will be affected:

The weather service urged those across central Alabama that rely on weather radio to make sure they have at least one other reliable way of getting warning information.

Other options are weather apps, TV/radio/Internet, local emergency management and family and friends that are weather-savvy.

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a Level 3 out of 5 (enhanced) risk for the northern third of Alabama today, roughly from Birmingham and Tuscaloosa northward to the state line.

A Level 3 risk means that numerous severe storms will be possible, as well as a few tornadoes.

Areas south of the Interstate 20/59 corridor through the southern part of central Alabama will have Level 2 (slight) and Level 1 (marginal) severe weather risks today, which means that scattered to isolated severe storms will be possible.

South Alabama could get some rain and maybe even thunderstorms, but widespread severe weather is not expected there.

The weather service expects the storms to slowly lose their intensity as they track to the south and east and after sunset, but they could linger into the overnight hours.

The storms are expected to exit the state by Wednesday morning, and temperatures will begin to cool off some after the front passes through.

After today no severe weather is expected in any part of Alabama through the rest of the week.

Here’s more from the weather service for the severe risk areas:

NORTH ALABAMA

CENTRAL ALABAMA