Two severe weather cells passed through the Lawrence area this evening, with the first pelting the city with hail, heavy rains and high winds and the second one bringing reports of a tornado southwest of the city in Osage County.

During brunt of the two storms, southwest Douglas County was placed under a tornado warning for about half an hour, as a storm cell that spawned a funnel near Overbrook, passed through.

A rainbow arcs through a thunderstorm cloud about 7:22 p.m. tonight shortly after the storm passed through Lawrence. This photo was shot just east of North Lawrence, facing to the east.

Latest forecast

As the first storm cell passed through the city before 7 p.m,, it dropped pea-sized, dime-sized and nickel sized hail through the city, including in Lawrence’s downtown, said Matt Sayers, 6News meteorologist.

A tornado warning was issued about 6:33 p.m. for Osage County when a trained weather spotter saw a tornado on the ground near Carbondale, about five miles west of Overbrook, heading east about 15 mph. Another report came in about 6:45 p.m. of a “rain-wrapped” tornado that was spotted just east of Overbrook, a few miles west of the Douglas County line. The tornado warning issued for southwest Douglas County expired at 7:30 p.m.

Bob Newton, of Douglas County Emergency Management, said Osage County officials have told him the tornado never actually touched down.

“It’s been dipping down and going back up,” Newton said.

Because of the report of the tornado, the Douglas County Commission cut its meeting short tonight.

Newton said dime-sized hail was reported at the intersection of Clinton Parkway and Kasold Drive about 6:45 p.m. Sayers said pea sized hail was falling in downtown Lawrence about 6:50 p.m., just outside the 6News studio at Seventh and New Hampshire streets.

Southern Shawnee County and southern Jefferson County were also under thunderstorm warnings early this evening.

Douglas County is under a thunderstorm watch until 10 p.m.

Overnight, the temperature is expected to drop to 75, with the high climbing to 94 on Thursday. But the hot weather won’t last long.

A cold front will move through the Lawrence area Friday afternoon and evening, bringing another chance for thundershowers.

Lightning creases the sky above downtown Lawrence shortly after midnight Monday. Dan Rathbun, the photographer, said he took the photo looking west from the top of the city parking garage in the 900 block of New Hampshire Street.