Nearly 30 counties in north Mississippi were under a tornado watch Monday as a line of severe weather threatened to push hail, heavy rain and damaging winds into the state.

Latrice Maxie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said a line of severe weather that was pushing across the parts of the south could bring strong winds, hail and tornados to Mississippi by Monday afternoon.

She said the entire northern third of the state was under a tornado watch until late afternoon.

She said the possibility for severe weather could reach down into central Mississippi, but the biggest threat was in Delta and the northern potions of the state.