1:55 a.m. update: A severe thunderstorm watch for several Central Texas counties, including Travis, Williamson and Hays has been extended until 4 a.m., the National Weather Service said.
1:45 a.m. update: The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Travis, Williamson and Hays counties until 5:45 a.m. Wednesday.
The service is warning residents of possible flooding as strong thunderstorms and heavy rain continue Wednesday morning.
More than 2 inches of rain have fallen in Jollyville, according to rain gauges monitored by the Lower Colorado River Authority.
Authorities are urging drivers to avoid flooded roadways Wednesday. Several low-water crossings along Spicewood Springs Road in Northwest Austin have been closed. Click here for a complete map of road closures.
1:20 a.m. update: Austin and several Central Texas cities along the Interstate 35 corridor are seeing lightning, heavy rain and in some cases pea-sized hail early Wednesday morning.
Small hail has been reported along the Interstate 35 corridor Wednesday morning
Over 750 strikes of cloud to ground lightning were recorded in the last five minutes along the I-35 corridor.
In San Marcos and Leander, residents have reported heavy rainfall followed by pea-sized hail, officials said.
The number of Austin Energy customers without power doubled to 800 in the past half hour, according to the agency’s outage map.
12:40 a.m. update: A flood advisory has been issued until 5 a.m. for several Central Texas counties, including Travis, Williamson, Hays and Bastrop, according to the National Weather Service.
The service is warning of possible flooding as heavy rain and thunderstorms continue moving over Central Texas early Wednesday morning.
About an inch of rain was recorded by 12:33 a.m. and 1 to 3 inches of additional rainfall are expected in the next hours, the service said.
Central Texas is also under a severe thunderstorm watch until 2 a.m. on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters said a cell of strong thunderstorms possibly carrying dime size hail and causing strong winds was moving north at about 35 mph.
7:15 p.m. update: A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued until 2 a.m. on Wednesday for several counties, including Hays and Burnet, according to the National Weather Service.
The service expects possible thunderstorms, high winds and large hail starting Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.
The alert covers 23 counties in South and Central Texas such as Hays, Burnet, Blanco, Caldwell, and Gillespie, the service said.
Earlier: Austin, and particularly the area stretching for several counties east of Interstate 35, are probably in for thunderstorms tonight, with high winds and large hail possible, according to the National Weather Service.
A low-pressure system moving in from the west will probably collide tonight with a stew of other meteorological phenomena in the Austin area, including moist air, with those storms resulting, Weather Service meteorologist Steve Smart said. Some of the storms could be severe — winds of 58 miles-per-hour or more; hail the diameter of a quarter; and the possibility, if slight, of tornadoes.
Expect one to three inches of rain as well, with as much of five inches possibly falling over pockets of the area. That means there is a slight chance of flooding, according to the Weather Service.
A front that rolled through the Austin area yesterday dropped a little rain last night and this morning, but gave way to sunny mid afternoon weather that should give way some time in the evening to the incoming storms. The thunderstorms could last through the end of the week, according to the Weather Service.
Smart said people in the Austin area should “continue to monitor the situation closely … everyone has a responsibility to keep themselves safe, and staying informed is a big part of that.”
The Weather Service web site and Twitter feed provide updates, as does the Statesman weather app, which can be downloaded for Android or iPhone. Those who want to submit weather reports by tweeting directly to the Weather Service or use the hashtag #eWXspotter.
