The National Weather Service canceled a tornado warning Tuesday afternoon for parts of Fauquier, Rappahannock and Warren counties, ending the tornado threat after it had been in effect until 5:30 p.m. for southwestern Rappahannock County. The tornado warning Virginia Beach alert left a different hazard in place: severe storms were still moving through the region.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning remained in effect for the affected area, and gusty winds were still possible as the storm continued to move through the region. Meteorologists said the tornado threat had diminished, but the storm still remained capable of producing large hail and damaging wind gusts.

Residents in parts of those counties were the focus of the afternoon warning. The change matters because it narrowed the immediate danger from a tornado threat to a severe thunderstorm threat, but it did not end the need to stay alert.

The National Weather Service also said severe thunderstorms continued to move through much of Northern Virginia, with weather alerts extending beyond the counties named in the canceled warning. Earlier Tuesday, it issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the I-95 corridor through central Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remained in effect until 10 p.m. Tuesday for portions of northwestern Virginia. That means the region still faced a broader severe-weather window after the tornado warning ended, even as the tornado risk eased in the three counties.

The Hazardous Weather Outlook covered Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax County, Prince William County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Stafford County, Spotsylvania County and King George County. A Flood Watch remained in effect through late Tuesday evening in northeastern Maryland, where excessive rainfall could lead to flash flooding.

For residents in the warned counties, the practical step was to keep watching alerts through the evening, since the storm was still capable of hail and damaging wind gusts even after the tornado warning was canceled.