Update1
WRAL's map showing 3 tornado warning areas. The warning near Richmond, Va expired at 4:40pm.
...........
"THE RISK FOR TORNADOES WILL INCREASE IN THE
NEAR-TERM...PARTICULARLY IN EasterN NC AND SouthEasteRN VA. A STRONG TORNADO RISK WILL EXIST."
The National Weather Service has issued the first 3 tornado warnings in the large tornado watch area in North Carolina and southern Virginia. The severe storms capable of tornadoes are located from just south of Richmond Virginia to near Roanoke Rapids, on the NC/Virginia border to Goldsboro, North Carolina. According to the NWS there is a high probability of tornadoes this afternoon and evening and a moderate probability of very dangerous tornadoes of EF2 or worse.
I don't have the software to track this dangerous situation effectively. Please stay tuned to trusted local sources.
Update 5: It's almost over but the NWS is still tracking tornadoes in far eastern NC.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
807 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2014
NCC013-260030-
O.CON.KMHX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-140426T0030Z
BEAUFORT NC-
807 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2014
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM EDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN BEAUFORT COUNTY...
AT 803 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS CONTINUED TO
TRACK A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR TERRA CEIA...OR 12
MILES NORTHEAST OF RIVER ROAD...MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
HAZARDS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
A TORNADO.
QUARTER SIZED HAIL.
THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
PANTEGO BY 815 PM EDT
PUNGO BY 820 PM EDT
Far eastern NC continues to have a tornado threat.
Update 4 - Apparent tornado in southeast Virginia near NC border at 6pm EDT.
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
554 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2014
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
NORTHWESTERN HERTFORD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...
NORTHEASTERN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...
SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA...
CITY OF FRANKLIN IN SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA...
SOUTHWESTERN CITY OF SUFFOLK IN SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA...
* UNTIL 630 PM EDT
* AT 549 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES WEST OF COMO...OR
6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BOYKINS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
NEWSOMS AROUND 600 PM EDT.
FRANKLIN AND HUNTERDALE AROUND 625 PM EDT.
OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS DANGEROUS STORM INCLUDE SUNBEAM...
RIVERDALE...HANDSOM...STORY AND ELWOOD.
Update 2
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
450 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2014
NCC013-079-117-147-252115-
O.CON.KMHX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-140425T2115Z
GREENE NC-PITT NC-BEAUFORT NC-MARTIN NC-
450 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2014
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM EDT FOR MARTIN...
NORTHWESTERN BEAUFORT...NORTHERN PITT AND GREENE COUNTIES...
AT 447 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND STORM
SPOTTERS WERE TRACKING A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR
FARMVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
HAZARDS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
A TORNADO.
QUARTER SIZED HAIL.
OTHER DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... FOUNTAIN...BELL
ARTHUR...WINTERVILLE...FALKLAND...BRUCE...BELLS FORK...GREENVILLE...
DOWDY FICKLEN STADIUM...EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY...PITT GREENVILLE
AIRPORT...STATON...STOKES...SMITHWICK...PACTOLUS...OLD FORD...
HOUSE...GOLD POINT...WILLIAMSTON...SIMPSON...ROBERSONVILLE...
PARMELE...HASSELL...HAMILTON...EVERETTS...BETHEL AND BEARGRASS.
...
SEVERAL SIGHTINGS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS
STORM. TAKE COVER NOW! IF A BASEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE...MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS
AND EXTERIOR WALLS.
Update on this storm. It may become a long track tornado.
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
513 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2014
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEWPORT HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
BEAUFORT COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
MARTIN COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF WILLIAMSTON...
PITT COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF GREENVILLE...
* UNTIL 600 PM EDT
* AT 510 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD
NEAR BRUCE...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF FARMVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 35 MPH.
* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO DOWDY
FICKLEN STADIUM...EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY...PITT GREENVILLE
AIRPORT...HOUSE...STATON...STOKES...PARMELE...ROBERSONVILLE...
BEARGRASS...EVERETTS...SMITHWICK AND JAMESVILLE
second update on this storm
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
536 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2014
NCC013-117-147-252200-
O.CON.KMHX.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-140425T2200Z
PITT NC-BEAUFORT NC-MARTIN NC-
536 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2014
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT FOR MARTIN...
EXTREME NORTHWESTERN BEAUFORT AND NORTHEASTERN PITT COUNTIES...
AT 533 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO. THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR STOKES...OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF
GREENVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
HAZARDS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
A TORNADO.
QUARTER SIZED HAIL.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... PARMELE...
ROBERSONVILLE...BEARGRASS...EVERETTS...SMITHWICK...JAMESVILLE AND
WILLIAMSTON.
An small, tight area of low pressure has developed on the east of the mountains in North Carolina along a warm front. As it moves east a strong pulse in the jet stream is moving in aloft with strong west south west winds. The low is pulling warm humid air off from the south off of the very warm Gulf Stream. Wind shear has increased rapidly over the past few hours and will continue to increase towards evening according to NWS's computer models. This is a very serious situation.
Water vapor imagery shows intense thunderstorms rapidly developing from humid surface air lifting and rotating into dry air aloft.
Humid air near the surface is lifting into very dry air aloft creating a situation where strong downdrafts can develop as rain evaporates and cools. This is one of the mechanisms that enhances the strength of severe thunderstorms and leads to development of tornadoes.
Update 3
Intense storms are forming over North Carolina as warm surface air rises rapidly into dry air aloft.