Update 7:06 p.m. –
The National Weather Service has ended a tornado watch for Tompkins County and other Central New York counties Monday.
No tornadoes were reported, but the weather service reported a 50 mph storm moving east in the area around 1:30 p.m.
A Tompkins County 911 dispatcher said no major accidents were reported during thunderstorms this afternoon, but officials responded to several reports of downed power lines.
New York State Electric & Gas reports that 1,108 people in Schuyler County are without service. No outages are being reported in Tompkins County as of 7:20 p.m.
Thunderstorms are expected to start in Ithaca again around 9 p.m., The Weather Channel reports. Rain and more thunderstorms are expected Tuesday, with heavy storms happening around 3 p.m.
Update 2:30 p.m. —
A tornado watch has been issued until 8 p.m. in Tompkins County. Here are a few early updates on the storm:
— Reports are coming in of several trees falling on county roads, including East Shore Drive.
— Elementary school buses are being held at the school today because of the severe thunderstorms, according to the Ithaca City School District. (Update: The buses have now been released.)
— About 1,500 people in Schuyler County have lost power, according to NYSEG.
— The storms will be near Ithaca at 1:55 p.m. “The main hazard will be strong winds with gusts up to 60 MPH possible,” Cornell Weather says.
Also, some more photos of the approaching storm from Joe Scaglione III:
Earlier —
ITHACA, N.Y. – A tornado watch is issued until 8 p.m. in Tompkins County, the National Weather Service says.
[fvplayer src=”https://vimeo.com/127613082″ loop=”fale” mobile=”https://vimeo.com/127613082″]
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A tornado watch means there is a chance a tornado can develop in the area. A warning means a tornado has been spotted on a weather radar.
The watch extends throughout Central New York, including in Chemung, Cortland, Broome and Tioga counties, among others.
Heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms are expected to start Monday around 3 p.m. and last until Tuesday night, forecasts say.
The weather service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning until 2:30 p.m. after a storm began moving east at 50 mph.
It’s expected to begin raining around 3 p.m. in Ithaca and kick up to a 65 percent chance for thunderstorms by 5 p.m., according to The Weather Channel.
The storms are expected to last throughout the night with south wind up to 13 mph, the National Weather Service reports.
The weather service issued a hazardous weather outlook cautioning people of urban and flash flooding from thunderstorms.
High temperatures are expected to be in the mid-70s with evening lows in the upper 50s throughout Tuesday.
Wednesday will be clear and sunny with temperatures around 80 degrees.
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