Almost 200 flights delayed at Sky Harbor Airport as hail, possible tornado threaten Valley

Storms disrupted travel at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Thursday, as a severe thunderstorm watch brought the risk of hail and a possible tornado.

As of 2 p.m., 190 flights were delayed, according to the airport’s website. This was down from 218 delays at 8:45 a.m.

Earlier in the day on Thursday, flights headed to Sky Harbor were delayed by an average of 39 minutes. However, that was down to 15 minutes by 2 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

There was also a runway change that caused departing flights at Sky Harbor to experience gate and taxi delays of 16 to 30 minutes.

The National Weather Service in Phoenix warned of potential wind gusts up to 70 mph, hail up to 2 inches in diameter and heavy rainfall.

More showers are expected through Thursday afternoon, with the highest risk of severe storms east of Phoenix. A flash flood watch is also in effect for most of the Phoenix area through 5 p.m.

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