Heavy rain and hail hit parts of the D.C. area during a Sunday evening thunderstorm.
The most recent severe thunderstorm warnings in the WTOP listening area expired at 9:15 p.m.
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The rain and hail hit the area around 5 p.m. and began to die down in some areas around 7 p.m.
Storm Team4 Meteorologist Matt Ritter said that additional severe weather is not likely in areas west of D.C., but areas east of D.C. may see such downpours later. All storms should be out by 10 p.m.
Quarter-sized hail various parts of the area. The National Weather Service said the heavy-hitting hail had the potential to damage vehicles.
We've got big hail in NW DC!! Pea to quarter size, driving hail for minutes, ground is covered. Near National Zoo. @WTOP pic.twitter.com/U1pdbGDdMK
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) June 2, 2019
GoPro roof footage, view S toward the National Mall. Should've left you with a hard hat, sorry bud. pic.twitter.com/Z5IvAdJd9d
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) June 2, 2019
“Along Western Avenue, several large trees came down near River Road,” WTOP’s Dave Dildine reported.
Five people were injured when lightning struck a picnic pavilion at Leesylvania State Park in Prince William County, according to the National Weather Service.
One was struck directly by the lightning, while the other four were struck by debris from the pavilion, the weather service said.
ABC News’ Howard Schoenholtz reported hail falling in Bethesda at around 5:30 p.m. by River and Ogden Roads. “I haven’t seen hail like this in a very long time,” he said. Below, WTOP’s Dan Friedell captures heavy, noisy hail falling in North Bethesda.
A strong cold front will pass through the area, and after it brings storms until around 9 p.m., it will bring what Ritter calls an “almost fall-like airmass” that will dominate the rest of the night and most of Monday’s weather.
After storms clear out after dark, overnight temperatures will drop into the upper 50s to low 60s.
Warmer, more humid air will return by midweek with the chances for more showers and storms.
Monday will start off on the cooler side, and will warm to about 70 degrees, which is 10 degrees below the average for this time of year.
Forecast
Sunday: Warm and humid. Mostly cloudy and hazy. Scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms, some of which could produce strong, gusty winds and some hail. Highs in the 80s.
Monday: Mix of clouds and sun. Windy and unseasonably cool. Highs in the 70s.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny and seasonably mild. Highs near 80s.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. Warmer and more humid with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 80s.
Hazy skies?
Smoke has begun to spread down into the region from wildfires in the Alberta region of Canada.
Air quality in much of the northeast U.S. has dipped as a result of the fires. On the bright side, sunsets should be spectacular while the smoke from the fires continues to billow into the region high in the atmosphere.
