Lightning, hail possible this afternoon in Clark County

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for all of Clark County and surrounding areas until 8 p.m. tonight.

Storms heading for the region have included large amounts of lightning strikes, and people should be aware of the potential for the same activity in Clark County, said Andy Bryant, a hydrologist.

The storms could also include gusts between 40-60 miles per hour and hail a half-inch in size or bigger.

“This is a pretty rare thing for us,” Bryant said. “We’ve got warm air at the surface, moisture, and then two fronts adding instability to the atmosphere.”

People spending time outdoors today should be aware of sudden changes in weather and be prepared to get inside quickly, he said.

“People just need to be smart,” Bryant said. “If you’re doing outdoor activities be aware that this is not a normal weather day. Some storms we’ve had today have had incredible amounts of lightning.

Visit the National Weather Service site at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/ for more information.