Metro Jacksonville

QuoteST. PETERSBURG --

The strong round of weather, the second in two days, has pounded the Bay area today.

A new tornado watch is in effect for Polk, Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee counties until 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, heavy rains, strong winds, hail, lightning and some flooding has affected multiple parts of the area.

There has been damage throughout the area, including downed power lines, felled trees, broken windows and some roof and structure damage from Citrus County down to Pinellas County.

Today's strong weather comes as some Bay area communities finished cleaning up from Wednesday's thunderstorms.

"It's highly unusual for the month of March," said Bay News 9 Meteorologist Alan Winfield. "Usually, we don't see this amount of rain in March."

Funnel cloud sightings

Sightings of a funnel cloud were reported just after 8 a.m. near Odessa, about eight miles east of Holiday. Other witnesses reported seeing a funnel cloud in the air and briefly on the ground in the New Tampa area near Wharton High School. The weather stretched across the region as another witness reported a tornado in Lakeland and Polk City. Also, a Pasco homeowner said quarter-size hail pounded his home in Zephyrhills.

The National Weather Service has formed a damage impact crew and went to various communities to confirm damage.

The first strong line of storms moved onshore early Thursday, followed by additional heavy rains all morning. Several parts of the Bay area received close to 2 inches of rain before 10 a.m. A 70-mph wind gust was recorded on Indian Rocks Beach and a 55-mph gusts was recorded at St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport.

"We've already had some torrential downpours early Thursday,'' Marquez said. "And more heavy rains will continue. We may have more severe storms with the possibility of damaging winds, some hail and tornadoes.''