Phil Riddle
editor@weatherforddemocrat.com
A series of freak fall thunderstorms battered Parker and surrounding counties Monday, spurring a tornado warning for Weatherford.
Tornadic cloud rotation, centered in a severe thunderstorm that stretched from Weatherford southwest into Erath County, was reported around 3:15 p.m., but did not touch the ground.
The storms, which eventually covered an area from Granbury northeastward to McKinney, was a result of an upper-level disturbance over the Great Plains, which dragged through North and Central Texas Monday, bringing rain, hail and high winds.
More than four inches of rain fell in some areas of North Texas Monday. Weatherford received almost three inches and wind gusts of more than 50 mph were reported. A tornado watch issued by the National Weather Service lasted until 2 a.m. today.
Secondary school students in Weatherford were detained until after the warning expired, according to a release from Weatherford ISD.
District Communications Director Derik Moore said emergency plans were followed without incident.
“Both Weatherford ISD students and employees remained calm and were instructed to get into their sheltered positions within their designated safety zones until notification was received that it was safe to dismiss,” he said.
Elementary students had already been released before the warning was announced.
Monday’s storms will give way to unseasonably warm temperatures today. Today’s high is expected to be in the upper 70s to lower 80s.
More storms are expected to form in the area late this afternoon.
To keep tabs on local weather 24 hours a day, visit www.weatherforddemocrat.com and click on the weather icon in the upper right hand corner.
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