Severe thunderstorms, large hail and isolated tornadoes are possible in central Indiana beginning Monday afternoon and evening, warned meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, who issued a hazardous weather outlook May 18-19.
Rainy conditions are expected to continue through Tuesday, ease Wednesday and Thursday, then churn up again Friday and Saturday into the Indy 500 and Memorial Day weekend. Here’s what to know about the forecast.
Severe thunderstorms are possible Monday
A social media post Monday by NWS warned of “strong to severe storms” moving through central Indiana Monday afternoon and early evening.
“Damaging winds and large hail will be the primary threats,” forecasters said Monday morning on X. “In addition, torrential rainfall may cause localized flooding.”
The line of storms are expected to hit sometime between 1 and 7 p.m. Monday, with tornadoes possible.
Hazardous weather outlook for central Indiana issued May 18-19, 2026
Monday’s stormy conditions are expected to linger into Tuesday, according to a hazardous weather outlook issued by NWS. Damaging winds and large hail will be the primary threats on May 19, according to forecasters, with localized flooding possible.
Will it rain on the Indy 500 2026?
As of Monday, an early forecast by NWS indicates there’s a 20% chance showers could fall in central Indiana on Sunday, May, 24. Racing fans might want to bring sunscreen and a rain jacket, just in case.
Indianapolis weather forecast, per NWS
Monday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4 p.m. Increasing clouds, with a high near 85 and a low around 69. Winds 10 to 16 mph with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Increasing clouds, with a high near 86 and a low around 61. Winds 13 to 17 mph with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 71 and a low around 51. North wind around 9 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70 and a low around 53.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75 and a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80 and a low around 63.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.
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John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at John.Tufts@IndyStar.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Severe storms possible Monday in central Indiana. When they could come
Reporting by John Tufts, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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