Severe weather ripped over northwest Kansas on Wednesday, resulting in at least one confirmed tornado and softball-sized hail.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued severe thunderstorm warnings for many counties Wednesday night, including the Kansas City metropolitan region. Tornado warnings were also issued northeast of Topeka, with forecasters advising citizens to seek cover and avoid windows. As of 11 p.m. EST, severe thunderstorm warnings were in effect in parts of northwest Missouri.
Videos of the hailstorm, which the NWS stated produced hail up to 3.5 inches in diameter, were shared on X, which was formerly Twitter. In one video posted by KMBC from a resident of Kansas City, Kansas, big balls of ice blanketed the ground of the cameraman’s front lawn as lightning flashed in the backdrop.
Meteorologist Lindsey Anderson of Kansas City, Missouri, shot a photo of herself holding a handful of hail, which was shared with X by KSHB. The NWS predicted hail damage to vehicles during the storm, as well as wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
Other residents recorded videos of a tornado that purportedly hit just east of Alta Vista, Kansas, on Wednesday night. At 8:51 p.m. EST, storm chaser Ben Williams tweeted a video of a massive funnel forming near Council Grove, which is about 15 miles south of Alta Vista and southwest of Kansas City.
AccuWeather posted another video of the tornado, shot by storm chaser Aaron Jayjack, with X at 9:25 p.m. as it passed near Alta Vista. KSNW reported at 10:51 p.m. EST Wednesday that one of its meteorologists, Jack Maney, was tracking a storm that spawned a tornado about east of Alta Vista.
The National Weather Service issued tornado watches for Atchison, Coffey, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Lyon, Miami, Morris, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte counties until 2 a.m. Thursday.
The storm system will continue to move eastward on Thursday, although the potential of hail is predicted to decrease when it passes over northeastern Texas and central Missouri. Forecasters told the Associated Press that severe rains and high winds were still forecast later this week.
According to AccuWeather’s senior meteorologist, Alex Sosnowski, forecasters are expecting severe rain on Friday as the storm moves into Louisiana and Arkansas, with up to 4 inches possible.