India, March 16 -- Severe storms, including the potential for tornadoes, are expected to persist throughout the night across metro Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

The National Weather Service has placed much of northeast and southwest Georgia under a tornado watch until 4 a.m. Sunday.

Several Metro Atlanta counties are included in the alert.

Residents in Fulton, Clayton, Rockdale, Henry, Paulding, Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Spalding, Coweta, Forsyth, Fayette, Hall, and Douglas counties are advised to stay alert as the storm system moves through the region.

Meanwhile, parts of North Georgia have already experienced intense weather conditions, prompting some residents to take shelter before midnight.

Tornado warnings wer...