UPDATE: The severe thunderstorm warning for Western New York was cancelled by the National Weather Service:
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN ERIE...SOUTH CENTRAL GENESEE AND WYOMING COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
AT 233 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THAT THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD WEAKENED AND WAS NO LONGER SEVERE...THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
RADAR INDICATED THAT HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS WERE STILL POSSIBLE FROM THE THUNDERSTORM.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN NEW YORK.
See the gathering dark clouds? The National Weather Service says that's the front of a severe thunderstorm about to hit Genesee County, and they make the warning fairly ominous:
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THESE ARE DANGEROUS STORMS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
As I write, I see lightening to the northwest.
Here's the rest of the alert:
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 215 PM EDT THU JUN 25 2009
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... NORTHERN ERIE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK SOUTHWESTERN GENESEE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK
* UNTIL 230 PM EDT
* AT 213 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES EAST OF AKRON TO ORCHARD PARK TO 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF DERBY...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... MARILLA...ORCHARD PARK AND ALDEN BY 220 PM EDT... DERBY...DARIEN AND HAMBURG BY 225 PM EDT...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THESE ARE DANGEROUS STORMS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN NEW YORK.
