Lightning TrackerIndianapolis storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Indianapolis, IN, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Indianapolis, IN
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Indianapolis by the numbers
Indianapolis gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 646 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 194 hail reports, 431 damaging-wind reports and 21 tornado reports. On average that is 13.0 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in March, May, June, when 52% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 16 hail reports, 54 wind reports and 3 tornado reports around Indianapolis; the largest hail was 1.50″ (walnut / ping pong ball) on Mar 22, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Indianapolis
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 2026 | Damaging wind | 22 mi SW · Morgan Co. |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi SW · Hendricks Co. |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi N · Marion Co. |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 8 mi SW · Marion Co. |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Tornado | 3 mi S · Marion Co. |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Damaging wind | 3 mi S · Marion Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi W · Marion Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Hail 1.20″ | 8 mi SW · Marion Co. |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Damaging wind | 25 mi W · Hendricks Co. |
| Jul 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 16 mi S · Johnson Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Indianapolis
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Indianapolis
Indianapolis averages 5.4 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 3.40 inches — about the size of a tea cup — reported 15 miles from the city centre on Jun 18, 2021. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Indianapolis
There have been 21 tornado reports within 25 miles of Indianapolis since 2016; the strongest was rated EF3 (Mar 31, 2023, 16 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Indianapolis on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Indianapolis
Questions about storms in Indianapolis
Does Indianapolis get a lot of severe storms?
Indianapolis averages 13.0 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Indianapolis?
Most severe-weather reports around Indianapolis come in March, May, June.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Indianapolis?
3.40 inches (tea cup size) on Jun 18, 2021, 15 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Indianapolis?
Yes — 21 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF3 on Mar 31, 2023.
How do I get storm alerts for Indianapolis?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Indianapolis, IN. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Indianapolis, IN. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Sep 30, 2026.