Tornadoes and downpours are possible across Iowa this afternoon and tonight

Forecasters expect heavy rain to hit parts of Iowa as a cold front arrives this afternoon and tonight, bringing the threat of severe storms.

National Weather Service meteorologist Kristy Carter says some areas of the state have a 100 percent chance of rain.

“As we move into the afternoon and evening hours, we anticipate the possibility of severe storms,” Carter said. “The greatest threat today will be across southern Iowa, primarily during the afternoon and evening hours. We are threatened with strong winds, hail and even some tornadoes.”

With strong winds pushing the cold front into Iowa, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes could strike long after sunset, and she says Iowans need to be prepared.

“Today we're going to see some quick storm movements, so there's a pretty limited amount of time to seek shelter,” Carter said. “You won't necessarily be able to see it if it's already dark, so be sure to have a plan to seek shelter quickly.”

Due to the weather forecast, several central Iowa communities have postponed their trick-or-treating night from tonight to tomorrow night. While much of Iowa started the day this morning with temperatures in the 60s and 70s, Carter predicts we will soon see a drop of perhaps 30 degrees as temperatures drop throughout the day.

“By this evening we're expecting lows in the 30s to 40s, depending on where we are and where the front is,” Carter said, “and tomorrow our highs will only be in the mid-40s to mid.” 50s, so there’s a pretty stark contrast.”

Three Iowa cities set records for warmest low temperatures on Tuesday. Des Moines and Ottumwa had lows of 70 degrees, while Waterloo had 65 degrees, the warmest lows at the time, breaking records set in the early to mid-20th century.