Thunderstorms sweep in, flood advisory issued for southwest valley

Thunderstorms have popped up throughout the Las Vegas Valley Monday, carrying with them a chance of heavy rain that could result in flash flooding and small hail.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory for the southwest portion of the valley until 3:45 p.m.

John Adair, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Nevada, said flooded streets could present problems in the valley throughout the afternoon and evening. Strong winds and small hail are also possibilities. Predicting the affected areas specifically is difficult due to the nature of the storms.

"With thunderstorms, they are hit and miss," Adair said. "It's hard to tell where they will be two hours from now."

A batch of storms in the southwest valley is currently moving north at 5 miles per hour. Adair said three different rain gauges in the area picked up a half-inch of rain in the last half hour.

Early Monday morning a different set of storms dumped three-quarters of an inch of rain in the Henderson area. The weather service received one report of a car stalled in a water-covered street.

Adair said this type of rainfall is typical for the valley at this time of year, a result of monsoonal conditions traveling north from Mexico.

A 30 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms is predicted throughout the valley for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Contact Ben Frederickson at bfrederickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512.