Tornadoes touch down across three states; no injuries reported

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 27 (UPI) -- A major April storm brought several small tornadoes, hail, heavy rain and thunder across the central United States on Tuesday evening.

Small tornadoes were spotted in Texas, Indiana, Missouri and Kansas, but no injuries were reported. Tornado warnings were also issued in Oklahoma.

As rain and thunder pelted Kansas and Kentucky, a flash flood warning was issued for the western portion of Kansas City through Wednesday morning.

As many as eight states were under severe storm watch on Tuesday, including a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" watch in Texas and Oklahoma, given only to the most severe conditions.

About 11,000 lightning strikes were recorded between Dallas and Kansas city over a 30-minute stretch late Tuesday, CNN Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri noted.

Several reports from the weather service office in Wichita, Kansas said hail bigger than golf balls had battered the area.

Multiple school districts in Oklahoma either canceled classes for the day or sent students home early out of caution. In 2013, seven children were killed in Moore, Ok. when a tornado smashed through a school.

In Nebraska, tennis ball-sized hall has been reported near the town of Deshler, about 10 miles north of the Kansas border, but no damage or injuries have been reported.

Meteorologist Shawn Rossi said funnel clouds were also reported in the area, but none touched down.

Severe storms knocked out power to about 28,000 people in Missouri and 25,000 in Oklahoma.

An increasing flash flood danger still is in effect in Kansas between Manhattan and Topeka.