Central Indiana could see strong to severe storms Monday afternoon and early evening, with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis warning that the line of storms may arrive sometime between 1 and 7 p.m. The same forecast calls for large hail, damaging winds, isolated tornadoes and torrential rain that could trigger localized flooding.
Forecasters said Monday's hazards are part of a hazardous weather outlook issued for May 18-19, and they used social media on Monday to warn that strong to severe storms were moving through central Indiana. They said damaging winds and large hail will be the primary threats on Monday morning, with tornadoes also possible as the system moves through.
The immediate concern is not just rain, but how much happens at once. The weather service said torrential rainfall may cause localized flooding, and Monday's forecast backs up that risk with a 60% chance of precipitation, scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4 p.m. Highs are expected near 85 with lows around 69, and winds could reach 10 to 16 mph with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Rainy conditions are expected to continue into Tuesday, when forecasters again called for scattered showers and thunderstorms and said damaging winds and large hail will be the primary threats. Tuesday's outlook carries a 70% chance of precipitation, with a high near 86, a low around 61 and winds of 13 to 17 mph gusting as high as 29 mph. The weather service said localized flooding remains possible that day as well.
The unsettled stretch matters because it does not end with Monday's storms. The hazardous weather outlook says stormy conditions are expected to linger into Tuesday, then ease Wednesday and Thursday before more showers and thunderstorms return Friday and Saturday, carrying a fresh chance of rain into the Indy 500 and Memorial Day weekend. The service also indicated there is a 20% chance showers could fall in central Indiana on Sunday, May 24.
For now, the pattern is clear: central Indiana faces multiple rounds of precipitation, with severe weather, flooding and repeated storm chances all stacked across several days. Monday is the first test, but it is not the last one weather radar is likely to catch this week.
