Storm brings much needed rain

TOLEDO, Ohio (WUPW) - A slow moving severe thunderstorm line originating from the upper Great Lakes put several counties under a tornado watch late and drenched the region with much needed rain Thursday afternoon after daytime highs soared once again to around 90.

The storms dipped down into Northwest Ohio and rolled across Lake Erie and southeast toward Mansfield. Clouds quickly darkened bright summer skies to almost pitch black around the even rush.

Embedded severe hail, torrential rains, and low wall clouds with confirmed rotation accompanied the late afternoon thunderstorms, forcing counties to sound their tornado sirens.

The storm line dropped an estimated 1 or 3 inches of much needed rain on the region in need of rain.

Scattered power outages were reported in Fulton, Wood, Lucas, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties on Toledo Edison's website as the storms marched east through the region.

Daytime highs once again soared into the upper 80s and low 90s but by the time the storms impacted the region, temps dropped quickly into the low 70s.

Although the National Weather Service said there was a report of a brief tornado touchdown in the Battle Creek area in southern Michigan, there have been no confirmed reports of tornadoes in Southeast Michigan or Northwest Ohio.

The weather service said trained weather spotters reported a tornado west of the city on Thursday afternoon and area law enforcement reported a brief touchdown around W.K. Kellogg Airport shortly afterward.

The weather service says the storms knocked down branches, trees and power lines. Consumers Energy says about 8,000 of its customers, mostly in southwestern Michigan, were without power because of the storms.

Tornado watches were in effect across the southern part of Michigan and northern Ohio Thursday evening as storms moved through.

Flood watches were issued for Monroe County in Michigan and Ottawa, Lucas, Wood and Sandusky counties in Ohio until 10 p.m.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.