Severe thunderstorm watch for Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Scott counties

After brief rounds of heavy rain early this afternoon, Cape Girardeau County and surrounding counties may be in for severe weather tonight.

At 5:30 p.m. the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Scott and other Southeast Missouri counties. The watch continues through midnight.

A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for northern Bollinger and Perry counties until 6 p.m. 

Heavy rain wil contribute to flooding on the already swollen Mississippi River, which is expected to crest at 44.5 feet on June 24, its highest level since 2002, thanks to heavy rain and storms across the Great Plains and upper Midwest.