ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
Buncombe County and much of Western North Carolina remains under a severe thunderstorm watch through 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 26, 2024, the National Weather Service reported.
The watch includes: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Davie, Haywood, Iredell, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rowan, Surry, Swain, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey counties.
As of 4:16 p.m., the weather service was predicting “a strong thunderstorm will impact southeastern Madison and northwestern Buncombe counties through 4:45 p.m.”
At that time, radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Marshall, moving northeast at 20 mph. The weather service said there could be wind gusts up to 40 mph and “penny size hail.” The agency warned that gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects, with a chance of minor hail damage at locations including Marshall, Mars Hill, Flat Creek and Canto.
Warnings were shifting throughout the late afternoon on Sunday.
From 3:33 p.m. to 4:17 p.m., the weather service also had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for western Buncombe County and east-central Haywood County, with the possibility of 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail. Thunder could be heard over part of Buncombe County, with a short period of rain, before skies partially cleared.
This story will be updated.