Golf-ball-size hail could hit central Kansas during strong storm, NWS warns

Strong storms could bring hail the size of nickels and golf balls to parts of central and southeast Kansas on Sunday night, meteorologists with the National Weather Service warn.

During the severe storms, winds could reach 50 to 70 mph, according to a forecast from the Wichita branch of the National Weather Service.

“Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop this afternoon and evening” throughout the region, the NWS Hazardous Weather Outlook says. “Severe thunderstorms are possible north of Highway 400.”

“Primary threats will be hail up to size of golfballs and 60 mph winds,” according to the Hazardous Weather Outlook.

In Wichita, there is “a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 9pm, NWS said in the forecast.

The biggest threats are north of Kellogg.

South of the highway, strong storms, nickel-size hail and 50 mph winds are more likely, NWS said in a tweet.

Looking forward, “multiple rounds of thunderstorms are in the forecast from Monday afternoon through Thursday,” the Hazardous Weather Outlook says. “The main threat Monday into Tuesday will be the very heavy rain with the thunderstorm activity.”

Wichita is expected to get 1.49 inches of rain through Tuesday night, as of a Sunday morning tweet from NWS Wichita. “Localized flooding” is possible.

“The severe thunderstorms (through Tuesday night) are expected along and east of the Butler and Cowley county lines,” NWS says. “Quarter sized hail and 60 mph can be expected with the strongest storms.”

The storms are predicted to be lighter Wednesday and Thursday, the NWS outlook says.

This story was originally published April 28, 2019 at 10:25 AM.