A ground stop has been issued at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as storms roll through metro Atlanta on Thursday morning, bringing widespread rain, thunder and lightning and prompting a tornado watch.
The watch is in effect for all of North Georgia and the metro area until 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. It covers 53 counties extending into the central part of the state.
The ground stop is expected to lift at 12:45 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It does not affect departures from Atlanta, only departures from other airports to Atlanta. There have been several delays, but only three cancelations, according to FlightAware.
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee until 1 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/iCIEhZVWX5
— NWS Atlanta (@NWSAtlanta) May 9, 2024
The inclement weather is the third round of severe storms, which pummeled counties north of the city overnight. The first band brought large amounts of rain to the North Georgia mountains and prompted tornado watches and warnings in some counties north of the metro area.