Strong storms with intense hail hit Columbus, central Ohio

Columbus and Central Ohio Weather

Columbus and central Ohio saw strong storms Wednesday afternoon, after multiple thunderstorm and tornado warnings in the area.

Northern Franklin and southern Delaware counties were under a severe thunderstorm warning until 6:15 p.m., along with portion of Madison and Union counties. A tornado warning was briefly issued for Licking County for an indication of rotation near Johnstown.

Counties farther north had tornado warnings between 4 and 5 p.m. Bucyrus police confirmed rotation from a tornado warned cell that caused significant damage to powerlines and trees.

A tornado watch was in effect for most of the state through early evening, before being expired by the National Weather offices. A flash warning was in effect until midnight for northern Athens County following upwards of 2 inches of rain in a slow-moving cluster of storms.

A mix of sun and clouds, with breezy conditions, prevailed ahead of a cold front that crossed Ohio late in the day, as temperatures soared into the the upper 70s and low 80s before the rain arrived.

Behind the front, slightly cooler and drier air will filter into the region tonight and Thursday. Morning lows will dip into the low 50s.

Thursday will be mostly sunny, with high clouds increasing in the afternoon. The front will stall south of the Ohio River, then lift north as a disturbance tracks from the central Plains to the Ohio Valley. Showers and a few storms will move across the the region Thursday night, ending early Friday.

The weekend looks to be very pleasant and on the cool side, with lots of sunshine.

Forecast

• Tonight: Showers ending southeast, some clearing. Low 52
• Thursday: Mostly sunny. High 75, showers and storms at night
• Friday: Early shower, partly sunny, breezy. High 64 (59)
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, cooler. High 57 (43)
• Sunday: Mostly sunny. High 57 (36)
• Monday: Sunny. High 64 (37)
• Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, showers. High 64 (44)

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