‘Surprise’ storms bring thunder, lightning, fires, power outages to North Texas
Many North Texans fell asleep late Tuesday to violent pop-up thunderstorms and powerful wind gusts, knocking out power in some parts of Fort Worth, before waking up early Wednesday to even more storms.
While possible storms were in Tuesday’s afternoon forecast, they instead came later in the evening which was a “surprise,” said Sarah Barnes, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Fort Worth.
The Metroplex’s hot temperatures and low surface-level humidity helped increase downburst winds late Tuesday, Barnes said. The NWS did have a few damage reports from Tuesday’s storms, mostly related to trees.
“The timing was a little bit off,” Barnes told the Star-Telegram on Wednesday.
Transformer fires in North Texas
A viral video posted to Reddit late Tuesday shows a sparking and smokey blown transformer above a Fort Worth road amid storms.
In the video, the transformer is seen lighting up the night sky with blue light and white sparks as rain falls in the background. The transformer appears to be located on a power line near the corner of North Riverside Drive and Longstraw Drive in north Fort Worth.
The Star-Telegram has contacted the Fort Worth Fire Department about the incident and if there were any damages or injuries.
Just a few miles northeast, another blown transformer was seen late Tuesday around 9 p.m. in Watauga.
City officials say the Watauga Fire Department responded to a report of fire behind Fitness Connection (8428 Denton Highway). Firefighters found the transformer on fire and crews extinguished it.
There were no reported injuries or structural damage to nearby buildings, according to the city. The Star-Telegram has contacted the city to confirm if they blown transformer was caused by storms.
Storms continue in North Texas on Wednesday
Storms early Wednesday were again a “surprise” since they occurred earlier than anticipated and were more widespread, Barnes said.
There was rain in Wednesday’s forecast, although it was expected later in the day, Barnes said. Severity wise, storms were mostly tame beyond general rain, thunder and lightning.
For the rest of Wednesday, a cold front will continue moving over south over the Metroplex and reach Central Texas by the afternoon, Barnes said.
As the front moves, gusty winds and brief heavy rain will be the main impacts for North Texas. Wednesday’s temperature high is expected to be in the upper 90s.
This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 12:19 PM.
