The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for eastern Sedgwick County and southern Butler County until 3:45 p.m.
A strong thunderstorm was dropping hail as large as golf balls, torrential rains and wind gusts of up to 70 miles an hour. The thunderstorm was moving east at 50 miles an hour.
The storm had knocked out power to more than 2,600 Westar Energy customers in Wichita and eastern Sedgwick County as of 3:15 p.m.
The wind is in a petulant mood, whipping dust up from the crevices of a railroad overpass downtown. Pedestrians have an urgency in their step that belies the bright blue skies.
The reason can be seen off to the northwest – clouds the color of a deep bruise are rolling toward the metropolis, and no amount of wishing can keep them away. In a matter of minutes, the heavens are weeping. The storm has arrived.
The morning commute could be a wet one in the Wichita area, forecasters say.
Showers and thunderstorms are likely into early afternoon before skies begin to clear. Highs will be much cooler than they have been all week, forecasters say, with temperatures topping out in the upper 70s.
Winds will shift from the south to the north in the morning, intensifying from the single digits to the upper 20s later in the day. Gusts could approach 40 miles an hour.
Lows tonight will slide all the way to the low 50s under partly cloudy skies. Forecasters say the weekend should be sunny and pleasant. Highs will be in the upper 70s on Saturday and the low 80s on Sunday.
For more information on current conditions, go to our weather page.