Nashville weather: Tornado reported in East Tennessee, hail, wind make way for cool temps
Severe thunderstorms rolled through Nashville and Middle Tennessee Tuesday, bringing strong winds, hail and the threat of tornadoes, though none were reported locally.
The first round of storms hit the area around 11 a.m. A stronger round pushed through ahead of a cold front late in the day, leaving much cooler temperatures in its wake.
There were reports of downed trees and power outages throughout Middle Tennessee and one suspected tornado touchdown was reported in a small town in East Tennessee. No fatalities were reported.
The Nashville area went to bed Tuesday about 20 degrees warmer than Wednesday.
Highs weren't expected to climb above 60, down from near 80 on Tuesday, forecasters said.
Flood advisory issued in Sumner County
The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory for northern Sumner County.
Radar shows up to two inches of rain has fallen within an hour.
Possible tornado touches down
A possible tornado touched down in East Tennessee's Morgan County, leaving a path of scattered debris, downed powerlines and trees in its path.
Morgan County E-911 reported the touchdown around 5:30 p.m., saying it had received multiple reports of a tornado. Highway 27 through Sunbright was closed to traffic.
No fatalities have been reported. An emergency shelter has been established at Central High School.
Weather service issues severe thunderstorm warning for Nashville, parts of Middle Tennessee
The National Weather Service Nashville issued a severe thunderstorm warning with winds reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, capable of producing penny-sized hail for Cheatham, Davidson, Robertson and Sumner Counties until 7:45 p.m.
Weather service extends tornado watch for Nashville, Middle Tennessee
The National Weather Service issued a second tornado watch for Nashville and Middle Tennessee as the first expired.
The new watch will remain in place until 9 p.m., the weather service said.
A second round of severe storms are expected to hit the region between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Weather service sees concerning data from weather balloon ahead of second storms
The National Weather Service launched a weather balloon, collecting data that has meteorologists "concerned about severe storms through the rest of the day."
"The air is moist and unstable," the weather service said on social media. "Winds are changing direction and increasing height, supporting storm rotation and a chance for tornadoes."
NWS: Second round of storms to hit Nashville, Middle Tennessee
Nashville and Middle Tennessee are not in the clear just yet.
Krissy Hurley, meteorologist-in-charge at NWS Nashville, said more storms are to come.
"Yes, we just had round one move through Nashville Metro," she said. "The main line of strong to severe storms will push through later this afternoon and evening. With that line, we can see additional severe weather. So even though the tornado watch expires at 3 p.m., it will likely get extended."
Power outages reported across Middle Tennessee
As the first round of severe weather swept across the region, more than 1,200 customers were left without power.
According to Nashville Electric Service, just under 500 customers are without power, the majority of those in North and West Nashville.
Middle Tennessee Electric reported the most outages, with more than 750 customers without power largely in Williamson County. In Wilson County, lightning hit a utility pole in Mt. Juliet's Providence Area causing a power outage, police said. Crews quickly restored power and rest traffic signals to normal operations.
Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation reported only six outages.
A second round of stronger storms is expected to hit Nashville around 3 p.m.
Hail reported in Williamson County
Pin-Pong ball sized hail is possible during this round of severe weather, the National Weather Service said.
The weather service reported shortly before 11:30 p.m. that hail a quarter of an inch was spotted in Fairview.
Tornado watch issued for Nashville, Middle Tennessee
Nashville and Middle Tennessee are under a tornado watch until 3 p.m.
Here are the counties included in the watch: Bedford; Cannon; Cheatham; Clay; Coffee; Cumberland; Davidson; DeKalb; Dickson; Fentress; Giles; Grundy; Hickman; Houston; Humphreys; Jackson; Lawrence; Lewis; Macon; Marshall; Maury; Montgomery; Overton; Perry; Pickett; Putnam; Robertson; Rutherford; Smith; Stewart; Sumner; Trousdale; Van Buren; Warren; Wayne; White; Williamson; Wilson.
Middle Tennessee Schools close early ahead of severe storms
Several school districts announced closures and early dismissals ahead of the severe weather.
Wilson County Schools and Lebanon Special School District opted to close for the day. Rutherford County, Williamson County and Dickson County announced early dismissals.
For a complete list of school closures click here.