Funnel clouds and tornado warnings in Central California

Thunderstorms hit Central California on Monday, causing funnel clouds and tornado warnings in the area. In Merced County, a funnel cloud was seen northeast of Atwater around 2:30 p.m. It moved closer to Vine and Almond about ten minutes later as the storm intensified. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Merced, Mariposa, and Tuolumne counties, effective until 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Officials warned that the storm could also bring small hail, about the size of peas. Additionally, a Special Weather Statement was released for a thunderstorm affecting Kings County and the west side of Fresno County. The storm has the potential to generate winds of up to 40 miles per hour.