(Afternoon UPDATE) Officials brace for severe weather in Miss.

April 02, 2009 01:47 pm

— JACKSON (AP) — Severe weather swept across parts of Mississippi on Thursday, dumping rain and hail and threatening to spin off tornados.
Mike Edmonston, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service, says hail ranging in size from golf balls to nickels was reported in areas of central and south-central Mississippi, including Rankin and Lawrence counties.
Much of the state was under tornado watches or severe thunderstorm warnings Thursday afternoon, including around Magee, which is still recovering from a powerful twister that hit last week.
Edmonston said a large line of storms broke up near the Mississippi River but redeveloped along Interstate 55, which runs north and south through the state.