Thunderstorm watches and warnings issued for Wednesday and overnight near Kansas City
The Kansas City metro area is under a severe thunderstorm watch Wednesday night and early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Storms are expected to reach Kansas City and surrounding areas between 10:30 and 11 p.m. and continue until 3 a.m. Thursday, the NWS reported. The storm line will move in from the west, where strong winds have already rocked the Topeka area.
South and west of Kansas City, the storm watch has been upgraded to a warning. Areas including Overland Park, Kansas City Kansas, Platte City, Olathe, Shawnee and Leavenworth may see pea-sized hail and wind up to 60 mph, according to the NWS.
East of Kansas City, winds could reach 80 mph, with possible hail the size of pingpong balls and frequent lightning expected overnight.
The thunderstorm watch in the Kansas City area encompasses about 2.7 million. Meanwhile about 933,500 people, mostly in Kansas, are included in the storm warning area.
