Severe weather was brewing in the Lawrence area this evening, leading to tornado warnings in Leavenworth County and extreme southern Douglas County, said Matt Sayers, 6News meteorologist.

Shortly after 7 p.m., a tornado warning was issued for an area south of Baldwin and U.S. Highway 56 in extreme south Douglas County and into Franklin County, Sayers said. The storm was moving east at 20 mph and lasted through 8 p.m. Areas affected including Franklin County just north of Ottawa and Wellsville. A tornado warning was also extended in northern Leavenworth County through 8 p.m.

“There are storms all around the region,” Sayers said.

Latest forecast Weather radar

Because of the severe weather in the area, the city band concert schedule for tonight in Lawrence’s South Park, has been canceled, Sayers said. About 8 p.m., heavy rain and lightning was moving into south Lawrence.

A flash flood warning was issued through 9:15 p.m. for Jefferson County, including the cities of Perry, McLouth, Oskaloosa and Winchester.

Storms began brewing in the area shortly after 5:30 p.m.

The tornado warning for Leavenworth County was first issued at 5:34 p.m., Sayers said. Trained weather spotters reported a tornado near Oskaloosa. At 7:32 p.m., the National Weather Service doppler radar indicated two severe thunderstorms capable of producing a tornado. The first storm was two miles northeast of Jarbalo, or five miles south of Lansing. The second supercell was located near McLouth, or nine miles east of Oskaloosa, moving northeast at 15 mph., according to the weather service. Those storms were expect to be capable of producing quarter- to half dollar-size hail.

Golf ball-sized hail was reported about 6:20 p.m. north of Tonganoxie, Sayers said.

Sayers said drivers should be on the watch for any thunderstorms, hail and heavy winds.

“Be aware of the severe weather situation and the possibility for severe storms,” he said. “With the ground being saturated as it is, if we do get heavy rain, then flash flooding will be a problem. So don’t drive through any water over the roadways.”

Late this afternoon, the National Weather Service had placed the Lawrence area, including Douglas, Jefferson, Shawnee, Franklin, Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties, in a tornado watch. The Lawrence area is also in a flood watch until 7 a.m. Thursday.

The National Weather Service says there’s a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight. The weather service says the storms could be severe, with the main threats being damaging winds, large hail, heavy rains and flooding and possibly even a few tornadoes.

Overnight, the temperature will drop to 72 by early Thursday morning.

Thursday’s high will be 87, with a chance for storms Thursday night into Friday morning.

Friday’s morning low will be 69, with Friday’s high temperature climbing to 87 degrees. There’s another chance for thunderstorms Friday night into Saturday morning.