A trained weather spotter has reported a tornado in southern Butler County, about 12 miles southwest of Leon, heading northeast.
It appears to be the first confirmed tornado touchdown in southern Kansas from the thunderstorms that have been firing up this evening. The tornado warning is in effect until 9 p.m. It does not include the city of El Dorado.
Not surprisingly, large hail has been reported between Augusta and Leon from the same thunderstorm.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch stretching from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon in 8 counties in southern Kansas, including Sedgwick, Harvey, Butler, Sumner and Cowley in the Wichita area.
Sporadic thunderstorms are expected to deliver as much as 3 inches of rain in parts of the watch area by Monday morning.
Other counties included in the flood watch are Marion, Chase and Greenwood north and east of the Wichita area.
The Storm Prediction Center has already intensified Sunday’s risk to a moderate for parts of Texas, the western half of Oklahoma and much of central Kansas, including Wichita.
Forecasters continue to tell me that if the skies clear in the afternoon then strong tornadoes can be expected. Heavy rains – with several inches of rainfall – can be anticipated in some areas as well.
Stay tuned to weather conditions throughout the rest of this weekend!
TornadoVideos.net has video of two tornadoes at the same time near Kalvesta last Saturday in western Kansas.
ExtremeTornadoTours.com was guiding four tour guests at the time the tornadoes touched down.
The Storm Prediction Center has posted a moderate threat for severe weather for much of western Oklahoma and portions of Texas and Kansas today.
Much of the rest of Kansas – including Wichita – is in a slight risk for severe weather.
Kingman, Harper, Sumner and Comanche counties are included in the moderate risk area.
The SPC’s outlook warns that conditions “suggest a better than even risk for a continuing severe threat – hail…wind…and isolated tornadoes into early Sunday…”
