Chance of tornadoes on Saturday in U.S. Midwest

(Reuters) - A severe storm system expected to cross the Midwestern United States on Saturday may bring hail, isolated tornadoes, damaging winds and heavy rain, meteorologists said.

The storm system is projected to dump rain from Chicago to Oklahoma City during the day, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Jon Erdman.

But as the sun sets, that cold front is expected to intensify as it moves east and meets with unseasonably warm and humid air, Erdman said.

The National Weather Service warned of a slight risk of severe thunderstorms in a swath of the Midwest stretching from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas up to the Missouri Valley on Saturday.

Residents from Austin, Texas, to St. Louis should be prepared to face the intense storms, meteorologists said.

The severe storm risk will continue through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

(Reporting by Mary Slosson; Editing by Greg McCune and Eric Beech)