By SALINA POST
Early this morning, a string of thunderstorms brought flash flooding warnings and more than two inches of rain to Delphos, Jamestown, Cuba and Beloit.
A far northeastern rural Ottowa County CoCoRaHS collaborator reported 3.33 inches of rain.
READ MORE: Recent Precipitation
NWS Wichita Three-day forecast
Today
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 55. West northwest wind 5 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Memorial Day
Sunny, with a high near 83. North northwest wind 8 to 13 mph.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 55. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light northeast in the evening.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of showers before 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming east southeast 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low of around 56. The chance of precipitation is 20%
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By SALINA POST
The National Weather Service Wichita (NWS Wichita) issued a tornado watch for portions of northern Kansas.
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By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Lead Reporter - Salina Post
Storms loom in the forecast again for much of the central Plains today, with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Storm Prediction Center (NOAA SPC) meteorologists predicting 70 to 80 mph wind gusts, large hail and the possibility for tornadoes.
National Weather Service Wichita (NWS Wichita) meteorologists predict that storms will reach the Saline County region between 7 and 10 p.m. today, while severe weather could begin as early as 4 p.m. across portions of Texas and Oklahoma.
Salina experienced a chilly morning, with the Salina Regional Airport reporting a brisk 55.9 degrees at 5:53 a.m. and a dew point of 48.9 degrees.
"It was a pretty cool chilly morning, so it's going to take quite a while for the deep moisture to get up into the Salina area," said NWS Wichita Meteorologist Scott Smith. "I would say that after the seven or eight o'clock timeframe would be when you see any impacts, and most likely, the storms would develop off to the West and head toward Salina, so it could be even later than that."
READ MORE: 🎥UPDATED: Severe weather coverage May 19 — Salina Airport reports 100 mph winds
The city of Salina lies on the edge of the moderate-risk area defined by the NOAA SPC categorical outlook. Still, much of Saline County and south central Kansas have higher risks for damaging severe weather.
Smith said that storms that may later reach the Salina region will likely begin as isolated storms in western Kansas but have the chance to congeal into a line of storms often referred to as a squall line, decreasing the chance of tornadoes.
Although the threat of tornadoes decreases when isolated storms become a squall line, the danger of 80 mph straight-line winds and damaging hail remains a significant concern.
"You can't rule out a tornado even in that scenario, but tornadoes would be more likely early on, and then your strong, straight, damaging winds later as they hedge their way to the Salina region," Scott said.
These squall lines often bring heavy rains alongside the large hail and strong wind gusts.
Smith said that although meteorologists at the NOAA SPC and NWS Wichita have a medium level of confidence in which areas will see storms this evening, residents should prepare accordingly with at least two ways to receive weather information, like a smartphone and weather radio or any other combination of receiving weather information, and have an action plan for when severe weather hits.
Salina Post will continue to update weather information throughout the afternoon and evening. Check back to see significant updates on where severe weather is in Kansas.