Stormy weather moved through the Denver metro area this afternoon, but the thunderstorms quickly headed onward to the plains, growing in intensity as they headed east.
A tornado was spotted at 5:08 p.m. near Eads inKiowa County, moving northeast at 15 mph. Several minutes later,another funnel cloud was spotted near Firstview, in Commanche County. No damage had been reported as of 8:30 p.m.
In downtown Denver about 2 p.m., vendors at the annual Capitol Hill People’s Fair struggled franticaly to keep their awnings from blowing away as heavy winds blew into Civic Center park along with the front.
Cleaning up after the wind was also blamed for a two-hour delay in opening doors at Red Rocks for a show headlined by the band Bassnectar.
A Special Weather Statement had warned of heavy thunderstorms from north of Denver down to south of Colorado Springs and hail was reported in the Parker area.
The South Metro Fire Rescue Authority reported that lightning damaged a duplex in Lone Tree but no one was injured.
Residents in a duplex at 9841 Firestone Circle reported seeing their roof on fire after a lightning strike around 1:40 p.m. Firefighters had the fire controlled in less than half an hour.
In Byers, an apparent microburst ripped half of the roof off of a house, bt no one was inside at the time.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the east metro area, including east Denver, Aurora and Buckley Air Force Base, expired at 3:15 p.m., but new warnings were issued for the eastern Plains.
In addition, the National Weather Service has issued a small stream flood advisory of the Lower North Fork burn area as heavy rain — up to half an inch in half an hour — was expected in that part of Jefferson County.
