Damage reported in Arlington after tornado sirens sound across area

A line of thunderstorms moved through Dallas-Fort Worth late Tuesday, prompting severe weather watches and tornado warnings.

Shortly before 9 p.m., a thunderstorm moving through Arlington near state highways 303 and 306 produced strong winds. Radar showed signs of rotation, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a tornado warning for Arlington as well as portions of Dallas.

The Weather Service recorded winds up to 81 mph about 8:55 p.m. in Arlington, according to meteorologist Matt Stalley.

As storms weakened, the warning was allowed to expire, but winds in Arlington were strong enough to topple power lines and trees, according to reports.

The Arlington Police Department posted on Twitter that it was helping the city’s fire department to assess the damage, which included collapsed roofs and malfunctioning traffic signals.

The storms moving through North Texas also triggered a tornado warning for portions of Denton County, including Sanger, Aubrey and Pilot Point.

Although images of ominous clouds circulated on social media, no tornado was confirmed and that warning, which was issued at 7:54 p.m., was allowed to expire at 8:15 p.m.

Besides the tornado warnings, the Weather Service also issued severe thunderstorm warnings for portions of Dallas, Collin and Tarrant counties that lasted until 9:45 p.m. Tuesday.

That warning indicated winds up to 60 mph and penny-size hail were possible. But a severe thunderstorm watch for the counties that was scheduled to last until 2 a.m. Wednesday said gusts could reach 70 mph and left open the possibility of tornadoes, as well as hail.

Temperatures across the Dallas-Fort Worth area Tuesday evening were in the 70s, but temperatures are expected to drop into the 40s by Wednesday morning after the front moves through, according to the Weather Service.