‘Lime size’ hail and tornadoes could accompany overnight storms, NWS Wichita says

Overnight storms could spawn tornadoes in addition to drop more than 2 inches of rain and hail stones the size of limes, meteorologists predict.

The National Weather Service office in Wichita issued a severe thunderstorm watch for several counties in southwest and and south-central Kansas. The watch was issued Thursday night and is valid through 6 a.m. Friday.

The watch predicts “a couple tornadoes (are) possible” across the region, as well as wind gusts of up to 70 mph and “scattered hail up to lime size.” Sedgwick County is not included in the watch.

In a hazardous weather outlook issued Thursday evening, the weather service warned of the potential for heavy rainfall and flooding in the Wichita service area.

“Storms over western Kansas are expected to move eastward impacting much of south central Kansas after midnight,” NWS forecasters wrote. “A few of the storms may be severe with wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph, especially south of a line from Great Bend to Hutchinson to Wichita. Locally heavy rain of 1 to 2 inches with locally higher amounts may renew some low-land flooding.

“Some storms may linger east of I-35 in the Friday morning, but are not expected to be severe.”

In Wichita, the NWS weather forecast calls for a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms overnight, mainly after 5 a.m. There is an 80% chance for rain on Friday, mainly before 9 a.m.

Kansas counties included in the overnight severe thunderstorm watch are Barber, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kingman, Kiowa, Meade, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Seward, Stafford and Stevens.

This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 10:52 PM.