Tucson received slight rainfall and strong winds thanks to isolated thunderstorms that rolled into the area Thursday afternoon.
Witnesses reported the strong winds caused a large metal column at the 22nd Street and Kino Parkway overpass to fall into the street, closing both southbound lanes of travel. There have been no reported injuries.
City staffers blame a microburst for the incident, which also took down a tree in the northbound lanes.
While the storms are mainly impacting mountain areas, the National Weather Service in Tucson expects .25 of an inch to fall in the city with a few wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour.
Aaron Hardin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the biggest impact on mountain ranges is due to the elevation where the storms are forming.
More thunderstorms are expected to arrive this weekend, bringing increased chances of rain heading into next week. Hardin said the area will receive persistent monsoon moisture with measurable rainfall to the area.
Excessive heat warnings occurred on Thursday as temperature reached 111 degrees in Tucson, according to the weather service. Forecasts of heat will slowly drop from more than 100-degree temperatures to the mid-90s next week.
