Severe storms, possible tornadoes could hit Louisville Sunday. Here’s what to know

Severe storms bringing damaging winds, hail and possibly tornadoes are expected to reach Louisville Sunday evening and are likely to continue overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

The entire Louisville metro area is under an “enhanced risk” for severe weather, the third-highest of five categories issued by the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. Forecasters anticipate a line of storms will reach southern Indiana first as early as 6 p.m., the arrive in Louisville Sunday night, possibly between 9 p.m. and midnight. The storms may take one to three hours to pass through.

The weather service also issued a greater than 10% chance of a significant tornado (an EF-2 or stronger) occurring within the Louisville metro area. Western Kentucky, as well as parts of central and northern Kentucky, are under the same threat. Officials stated they have a “medium” confidence in tornadoes occurring Sunday night.

Louisville is under a 45% chance of severe straight-line winds 58 mph or greater, and a 15% chance of severe hail of at least 1 inch in diameter.

Residents under the enhanced risk for severe weather should expect numerous severe storms similar to the “intense storms your area may only experience once or twice a year,” weather service forecasters said in a statement. All of Kentucky, expect for a far eastern portion of the state, are under an enhanced risk.

In a briefing released by the NWS Sunday morning, officials stated it was possible a “few severe cells” could develop ahead of the main line of storms. Louisville could see around an inch of rain from the storms moving through the area.

In Louisville, temperatures are expected to drop around 25 degrees from a high of about 75. The quick shift from warm weather to cooler conditions is one of the ingredients causing the strong storms.

“We’ll have mild temperatures Sunday until a cold front drags in,” NWS Louisville meteorologist Brian Schoettmer previously said. “That’s the trigger (for the severe weather). There will be a strong low pressure system, which creates a lot of wind energy.”

National Weather Service officials stated residents under a risk for severe weather should have multiple ways to receive alerts if weather watches and warnings are issued late Sunday.

Wednesday is also shaping up to have a severe weather threat, with the best chance of strong storms expected along and west of the Interstate 65 corridor during the afternoon and overnight hours, weather service officials stated. Like the anticipated Sunday storms, damaging winds, hail and tornadoes are possible Wednesday.

Additional rain from the storms Wednesday will also elevate the risk of flooding in the Louisville area. There is a slight risk of flooding Wednesday and a moderate risk Thursday, according to the NWS.

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Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Severe storms, possible tornadoes could hit Louisville Sunday