SIDNEY -- Rain, wind, hail and lightning punctuated Wednesday afternoon through much of the Panhandle and into northeast Colorado.

Storm warnings varied from severe thunderstorms turned to tornado watches and warnings. Heavy rain resulted in overwhelmed storm drains and flooded fields. 

The Logan County (Colorado) Office of Emergency Management reported two official tornadoes and baseball-size hail. Amateur photographers recorded funnel clouds near Merino, west of Sterling and near North Sterling Reservoir State Park.

The National Weather Service reported a Tornado Watch in effect until 8 p.m. this evening. Thunderstorms will develop and slowly move eastward across the area. Thunderstorms may contain very large hail greater than two inches in diameter, gusty winds, very heavy rainfall, and a few tornadoes. In western Nebraska, this warning includes Banner, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff and Sioux counties.

In Wyoming, this watch includes four counties in southeast Wyoming of Albany, Goshen, Laramie, and Platte.

This includes the communities of Agate, Angora, Bayard, Bordeaux, Bosler, Bridgeport, Bronson, Cheyenne, Gering, Geurnsey, Harrisburg, Harrison, Kimball, Laramie, Redington, Scottsbluff, Sidney, Torrington and Wheatland. 

Daily chances for afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms will continue through Friday, according to the NWS. Severe thunderstorms will be possible. Saturday is expected to be breezy with a slight chance of rain, and Sunday is expected to be sunny.