When it comes to severe weather events like tornadoes and flash floods, what's the difference between a watch and warning, and which is worse?

This enhanced wording may also accompany severe thunderstorm watches for intense convective wind storms', according to the Storm Prediction Center. A Warning means it it either imminent, occurring now ...

There’s a distinct difference between the two advisories: while a tornado watch warns of conditions that are favorable for the formation of a tornado, a warning is a much more urgent advisory ...