WICHITA — Barton County is included in a 40-county area in central and western Kansas placed under a thunderstorm watch by the National Weather Service in Dodge City and Wichita.
Other counties included are Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, McPherson, Mitchell, Ness, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Reno, Rice, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sheridan, Stafford, Stanton, Trego and Wichita counties.
Scott and Lane counties were the first counties under a severe thunderstorm warning at 2:33 p.m. Tuesday.
Severe storms are possible late Tuesday afternon and evening, especially along and west of a Salina to McPherson to Hutchinson line. The strongest activity will be capable of golf-ball size hail and 70 mph winds.