Dallas under severe thunderstorm watch as hail, strong winds forecast

Severe storms are expected Saturday in North Texas, as Dallas-Fort Worth is under a severe thunderstorm watch until midnight.

Parts of North Texas, mainly in the Wichita Falls area, are under a tornado watch.

According to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office, the storms will first develop in the western part of the North Texas region in the afternoon before moving east. The main timing for these storms will be between 3 and 9 p.m., according to the weather service, with the most likely timing for Dallas and Fort Worth being between 4 and 9 p.m.

More than 15,200 customers were without power as of 8:30 p.m., according to Oncor. The majority of the impact was felt in Grayson and Wise counties, where more than 8,300 and 2,200 customers were affected, respectively.

The forecast from KXAS-TV (NBC5) is showing a 20% chance of rain in Dallas at noon, with rain chances slowly increasing over the rest of the afternoon. There is a 40% chance of rain at 3 p.m., which will increase to 80% by 5 p.m.

The severe thunderstorm watch issued by the weather service stretches from Central to East Texas and includes much of North Texas. Hail up to 3.5 inches in diameter, winds up to 70 mph and a tornado or two are possible.

The storms are coming on the heels of severe weather reported in the Midwest and South, with particularly bad damage in Kentucky. At least 23 people were killed in those storms with tornadoes being a major force behind damages.

Some isolated severe storms are possible Sunday as well in North Texas. Those storms are expected between 4 and 8 p.m. There are also some chances for strong to severe storms on Monday and Tuesday as well.

High temperatures are expected to stay in the mid-to-high 80s through the weekend and next week.

Latest Dallas forecast via KXAS-TV (NBC5):

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy and warm with scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening. Some storms may be severe with large hail and damaging winds. High: 88. Wind: S 10-15 mph.

SUNDAY: Breezy and warm with a chance for a storm or two, mainly during the late afternoon and evening. Low: 74. High: 88. Wind: S 10-20 mph.

MONDAY: Breezy and warm with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low: 70. High: 88. Wind: S 10-20 mph.

TUESDAY: Breezy and less humid with sunshine and a few clouds. Low: 62. High: 84. Wind: NW 10-15 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny and pleasant. Low: 63. High: 82. Wind: N 5-10 mph.

THURSDAY: Mixed clouds and sunshine. Low: 64. High: 83.