Wichita, Kansas – Drivers across Wichita need to get off exposed roads now as hail up to 1 inch in diameter is striking the metro and moving quickly toward downtown at highway speeds.
According to the National Weather Service in Wichita, storms producing pea- to penny-sized hail, with isolated quarter-sized stones, were reported around 2:50 p.m. Friday and are tracking northeast at 45 mph. Additional impacts include wind gusts up to 60 mph and continued hail development as the storm pushes into eastern Sedgwick County and toward Butler County through the late afternoon.
West Wichita and central corridors are seeing the most immediate impacts, with visibility briefly reduced during heavier hail bursts. Elevated roadways and open stretches like Kellogg Avenue (US-54) and I-235 could become slick within minutes. Power flickers are possible where stronger wind cores pass.
Emergency managers urge residents to move vehicles under cover, avoid non-essential travel, and stay indoors away from windows as hail continues. Charge devices now in case of isolated outages.
Storms will continue shifting east-northeast into Butler County through early evening, with additional warnings possible if cells intensify.
