Lightning TrackerWichita storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Wichita, KS, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Wichita, KS
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Wichita by the numbers
Wichita sits in one of the most active severe-weather areas in the country: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 1,090 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 486 hail reports, 594 damaging-wind reports and 10 tornado reports. On average that is 17.9 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in May, June, July, when 71% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 42 hail reports, 45 wind reports and 5 tornado reports around Wichita; the largest hail was 2.00″ (hen egg) on Aug 7, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Wichita
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi SW · Sedgwick Co. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi SE · Sedgwick Co. |
| Sep 9, 2026 | Damaging wind | 8 mi W · Sedgwick Co. |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Damaging wind | 15 mi S · Sedgwick Co. |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Hail 2.00″ | 20 mi E · Butler Co. |
| Aug 6, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 4 mi NE · Sedgwick Co. |
| Aug 6, 2026 | Damaging wind | 8 mi NE · Sedgwick Co. |
| Jul 9, 2026 | Hail 1.75″ | 21 mi S · Sumner Co. |
| Jul 9, 2026 | Damaging wind | 21 mi S · Sumner Co. |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Damaging wind | 25 mi N · Harvey 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 Wichita
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Wichita
Wichita averages 11.7 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.75 inches — about the size of a baseball — reported 2 miles from the city centre on Sep 3, 2025. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Wichita
There have been 10 tornado reports within 25 miles of Wichita since 2016; the strongest was rated EF3 (Apr 29, 2022, 9 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Wichita 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 Wichita
Questions about storms in Wichita
Does Wichita get a lot of severe storms?
Wichita averages 17.9 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 Wichita?
Most severe-weather reports around Wichita come in May, June, July.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Wichita?
2.75 inches (baseball size) on Sep 3, 2025, 2 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Wichita?
Yes — 10 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF3 on Apr 29, 2022.
How do I get storm alerts for Wichita?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Wichita, KS. 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 Wichita, KS. 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 29, 2026.