A line of thunderstorms passed through the area over the noon hour, bringing heavy rains to Lawrence and reports of hail in southern Douglas County and northern Franklin County. The Lawrence area remains in a tornado watch until 7 p.m.

The thunderstorm reached Lawrence about noon, bringing in heavy rains sweeping through the city’s downtown. Most of the rain was pushing off to the east by 12:30 p.m., said Matt Sayers, 6News meteorologist.

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The storm brough 0.22 of an inch of rainfall at the 6News offices at Seventh and New Hampshire streets in downtown Lawrence. Lawrence Municipal Airport reported 0.20 of an inch. Heavier amounts probably fell to the south of the city, Sayers said.

Janet Reid, 6News reporter/anchor, reported about 12:20 p.m. that there was marble-sized hail two miles north of the Baldwin junction, in southern Douglas County where U.S. Highways 59 and 56 intersect. One-inch diameter hail was reported about 12:10 p.m. in Ottawa, according to the National Weather Service.

Large hail, about half-dollar sized, was reported before noon near the Overbrook area southwest of Lawrence. No hail was reported as the storm passed through Lawrence,

Cities in the tornado watch area include Lawrence, Ottawa and Olathe. Counties in the watch area include Douglas, Osage, Franklin, Johnson counties. About 12:46 p.m., there was police scanner traffic that a tornado was reported on the ground headed northeast about 12:45 p.m. just west of Paola. There was no confirmation from the National Weather Service about that report.

Sayers said a second round of storms could also begin developing in the late afternoon, around 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for Lyon County. At 10:48 a.m., a member of the public reported a tornado just north of Emporia, moving east about 30 mph.

Besides the Emporia tornado, there was a tornado reported in southwest Missouri Tuesday morning near Hickory in Benton County, close to the Lake of the Ozarks.