50 mph winds, hail hit central Va.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Central Virginia has been lashed by winds of more than 50 mph and hail the size of quarters.

The National Weather Service in Wakefield reports that it received a report of a funnel cloud in the Richmond area during the surprise storm Thursday afternoon.

Dominion Virginia Power reports nearly 20,000 power outages in the metropolitan Richmond area.

Meteorologist Lyle Alexander says the weather service has not determined whether a tornado hit the area.

He described the storm as a single cell. A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for the Tri-Cities area of Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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