Severe Storms Bring Tornadoes, Hail Across Southern, Central Minnesota

Multiple severe storms, including several funnel clouds and brief tornado touchdowns, swept through southern and central Minnesota on Monday evening, prompting numerous tornado warnings across the region. Notably, areas near Nicollet, North Mankato, Mankato, and extending toward St. Clair, Pemberton, Waldorf, and Waseca County experienced tornado alerts, though no damage or injuries have been reported so far. Central Minnesota counties such as Stearns and Meeker also faced tornado warnings, but no confirmed tornado touchdowns or damage occurred there, despite reports of rotation and strong winds. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued in areas including Kimball, Maple Lake, and Foley, with wind gusts reaching up to 60 miles per hour and hail up to quarter-size reported. The Twin Cities metro area was under a tornado watch throughout the day, with hail reported west of the metro as the storms moved through and began to exit the state. Tornado warnings were also active for Blue Earth, Le Sueur, and Nicollet counties until mid-evening, underscoring the widespread impact of the severe weather across Minnesota.