Kansas City Metro and Mid‑West Put on Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Watches

The National Weather Service issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the Kansas City metropolitan area and surrounding counties in Kansas and Missouri, effective until 4 a.m. CDT on June 9. The watch covers 14 counties, including Johnson, Linn, Miami, Leavenworth, Wyandotte in Kansas and Bates, Cass, Clay, Jackson, and others in Missouri, and warns of damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain.

At the same time, the NOAA Storm Prediction Center activated Tornado Watch 303 for a broader swath of the central Midwest. The tornado watch runs until 9 p.m. CDT and encompasses 27 Kansas counties, 30 Missouri counties, 13 Iowa counties and Richardson County in Nebraska. It flags conditions favorable for tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds, and urges residents to have shelter plans and stay alert to any tornado warnings.

Both agencies advise people in mobile homes, vehicles or outdoors to seek sturdy shelter, monitor weather alerts on radios or smartphones, and be prepared for rapid changes in storm intensity.