Intense storms threatened parts of Kansas and Missouri Wednesday night, and some included large hail.
Shortly after 8 p.m., the National Weather Service said the Kansas City metropolitan area was under a severe thunderstorm warning, including hail said to be the size of apples, softballs or baseballs.
“If you are in the area covered by this storm, stay away from windows and take shelter indoors immediately!”, the National Weather Service published on the social network
Traffic was completely stopped for a time on some stretches of Interstate 70 due to hail, he added.
Thunderstorms raise alerts in Kansas and Missouri
KSHB-TV showed images of large pieces hailincluding one larger than a golf ball next to it, and at least one broken window.
The weather agency continued to issue tornado warnings overnight in areas near Topeka and to the north, as well as warnings for powerful thunderstorms northeast of Kansas City, Missouri.
The press reported at least one unconfirmed tornado in Alta Vista, Kansas, on Wednesday. The national weather agency in Topeka warned that hail expected in northern Kansas of large size and wind gusts of up to 96 kilometers per hour until 6 in the morning this Thursday.
AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said “gorilla” hail was expected because it could be large.
The term “gorilla hail” It was coined by Reed Timmer, a storm chaser who calls himself an extreme meteorologist, Sosnowski noted.
In this case, the term could be true: some of the hail found between north-central Kansas and north-central Missouri could reach the size of baseballs.
“When it reaches the size of a tennis ballbaseball or, God forbid, softball, the damage can be tremendous, and if you receive a blow to the head it could be lethal,” Sosnowski said.
Cars are especially vulnerable to damage, so he urged owners to park them under cover where possible.
In addition to hail, Intense downpours could be recorded in that same area. The National Weather Service warned of the risk of flash flooding.
The storm is expected to move east on Thursday, according to forecasters. Hail will then be less of a threat, but heavy rain and strong winds could hit from northern Texas to central Missouri.
The biggest threat on Friday would be Torrential rains — which could dump up to 10 centimeters of water in some areas — from central Louisiana to central Arkansas, Sosnowski said.
