Storm cells arrived in the Tucson area Thursday afternoon, bringing strong winds and slight rains after the day began with warnings of excessive heat.

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 shortly before 4 p.m. There were no reported injuries.

City staffers said a microburst caused the art structure to rip away from its welded areas and topple onto the road. Road crews cleared the column from the street and reopened the traffic lanes around 6 p.m.

The structure might not be salvageable, city officials said. Similar decorative columns along the overpass are not believed to pose safety hazards to drivers, they said.

Dust storms also closed roads due to low visibility, including a portion of Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak that shut down for nearly 40 minutes in the evening.

Before the storm, Thursday’s temperatures peaked at 111 degrees around 2:45 p.m., the city’s hottest day of the year so far, according to the weather service.

Tucson Electric Power reported more than 4,000 customers were without power during the peak temperatures in several parts of Tucson and Oro Valley. Power was restored in about 90 minutes.

Officially, .13 inch of rain fell at the airport. It was Tucson’s first recorded rainfall since June 16.

More thunderstorms are expected to arrive this weekend, bringing increased chances of rain heading into next week.

Rain isn’t in the forecast for Friday, but chances of rain reach 20 percent on Saturday and 40 percent for late Sunday.

But Tucsonans should also expect the triple-digit heat to continue, with temperatures expected to reach 104 degrees Friday, 105 Saturday and 102 on Sunday.

Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.

Star reporter Joe Ferguson contributed to this report. Contact Star reporter Shaq Davis at 573-4218 or sdavis@tucson.com. On Twitter: @ShaqDavis1