As severe weather threatens NE Kansas, weather radios are off. Here's why

As Kansans dealt June 17 with the threat of severe weather, weather radios in the Topeka area were off the air due to a prescheduled computer system update.
Forecasters encouraged weather radio users to find alternative sources for information during the outage, which left transmitters inactive in the areas of Topeka, Concordia, Abilene, Blue Rapids and Halls Summit, Kansas.
"During periods of planned or unplanned outages it is important to have multiple ways to receive warning information," the weather service's Topeka office said on its website. "These alternative sources include: local television/radio, and weather apps on your mobile device."
The weather service between June 16 and 18 is conducting a required, prescheduled update to its advanced weather interactive processing system, its Topeka office said on its website.
During the update, forecast operations will be conducted by the Topeka office's backup office in Wichita to minimize any potential interruptions in services, that site said.
"No impacts to our core services of forecast products and weather watches, warnings and advisories are expected during this period," it said.
The weather service's Topeka radar was to remain operational and its products will continue to be distributed as usual, the weather service said.
Its Topeka office will remain open and staffed, it said.
An area that included Topeka had been placed June 17 under a flash flood watch, which was to last through the afternoon of June 18.
Severe weather was most likely the evening of June 17, the weather service said.
The National Weather Service forecast an "enhanced" risk for severe weather June 17 for much of Kansas, including Topeka, Lawrence, Manhattan, Olathe and Emporia.
It predicted a "moderate" risk of severe weather, which is more serious than "enhanced," for an area that included Wichita, Hutchinson, Newton, Great Bend and McPherson.
Thunderstorms are expected to develop along a front anticipated to move slowly through the area, said a graphic posted on the website of the weather service's Topeka office.
"Large hail (2+ inches), damaging winds (60-70+ mph), a few tornadoes and flash flooding would be possible," that graphic said.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Weather radios off due to update as severe weather threatens NE Kansas

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