Severe storms bring hail, high winds, flooding to Minnesota

Severe thunderstorms dumped torrential rain on parts of Minnesota on Sunday afternoon and evening, along with hail and high winds.

The storms prompted several tornado warnings as the swept across the state, though the warnings were based on radar-indicated rotation, and there were no immediate reports of tornado touchdowns.

The National Weather Service received a report of 1.5 inches of rain in just 30 minutes as the storms pass through Randall, in Morrison County, just after 6 p.m. A spotter near Inguadona in Cass County recorded 1.9 inches of rain in an hour.

Heavy rain also fell in Fergus Falls, where there were reports of street flooding, along with downed trees and power lines from winds that gusted to at least 55 mph. At one point in the evening, Fergus Falls was simultaneously under four separate warnings: tornado, severe thunderstorm, flood and flash flood.

Street flooding also was reported in Brainerd. MnDOT reported that part of westbound State Highway 210 in Brainerd, near the Mississippi River bridge, would be closed into Monday morning because of a washout.

The Weather Service received a report of hailstones larger than golf balls near Lake Park in Becker County just after 5:30 p.m.

Among other storm reports:

1. A trained spotter reported a funnel cloud near Pine River

2. A spotter near Pierz recorded a wind gust of 73 mph, while a weather station near Rothsay reported a gust to 67 mph.

3. Nickel-size hail was reported near Little Falls, with quarter-size hail near Hackensack, Hawley and Audubon

4. Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Aitkin, and near Crosslake

   Hot, humid conditions — along with another chance for thunderstorms — will continue across Minnesota on Monday.

   Find more details on MPR Weather's Updraft blog.

   Find severe weather updates on MPR's live weather blog.