Tornado, severe thunderstorm warnings issued as storms roll through Kansas City

Several areas in the Kansas City metro are under severe weather watches and warnings, including a tornado warning, as storms roll through the area Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

According to the National Weather Service, Liberty, Excelsior Springs and Glenaire were under a tornado warning until 7:45 p.m.

Carroll and Ray counties were under a tornado warning until 8:30 p.m.

Forecasters were previously uncertain if activity would develop across the metro Tuesday in the early afternoon and evening, initially placing the area under a “slight” risk of severe weather.

Storms are slated to continue throughout the night and early Wednesday morning.

Tornado watch, thunderstorm warnings issued across metro

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch around 6 p.m. for several counties in both Kansas in Missouri.

In Kansas, several counties in the southeastern and northeastern area of the state were placed under the watch, set to expire at midnight, including Douglas, Leavenworth, Wyandotte and Johnson counties, among several others.

In Missouri, several counties in the northern half of the state are affected, including Clay, Platte, Cass, Clinton and Jackson counties. The full list of affected counties can be found on the National Weather Service’s website.

Following the tornado watch, the weather service issued several severe thunderstorm warnings Tuesday evening, each varying in timeframe and potential severity.

A severe thunderstorm warning affecting Olathe, Leawood and Raytown will expire at 10:15 p.m., the National Weather Service said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Additionally, Overland Park, Olathe and Lenexa will be under a flash flood warning until 2:30 a.m., the National Weather Service said.

Kansas City and Independence were under a severe thunderstorm warning until 10 p.m., during which marble-sized hail was spotted.

Raytown and Grandview were under a severe thunderstorm warning until 9:45 p.m., the National Weather Service said.

Excelsior Springs, Wood Heights and Carrollton were under a severe thunderstorm warning until 8:30 p.m., the National Weather Service said.

Lathrop, Polo, Holt, Liberty, Excelsior Springs and Kearney were under a similar warning until 7:30 p.m., with golf ball-sized hail possible, the weather service said.

Kansas City, both in Kansas and Missouri, and Independence were placed under a severe thunderstorm warning until 7:15 p.m. Strong winds and large, apple-sized hail was expected.

A severe thunderstorm warning affecting Gladstone, Parkville, Platte City and Pleasant Valley was issued around 6:30 p.m., set to expire at around 6:45 p.m. Winds up to 60 mph were expected, as well as tennis ball-sized hail, the weather service said.

Storms to continue throughout the night, into early Wednesday

The storms are expected to last between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 3 a.m. Wednesday. Showers may linger through the mid-morning.

There’s a slight chance for a second thunderstorm after 4 a.m., according to the National Weather Service forecast, as a cold front pushes through the metro.

The potential storms could bring more damaging winds and heavy rain, the weather service said, with a slight chance for tornadoes to develop. Temperatures will fall to the 50s and 60s Wednesday through Friday before rising to the mid-70s Saturday.

The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton contributed reporting.

This story was originally published March 10, 2026 at 7:43 PM.