The city of Denver was under a tornado watch Monday afternoon — but the hazard sirens that howled just after 4 p.m. were a mistake, city officials said.
"Siren was sounded inadvertently. There is no threat of destructive weather to Denver at this time," wrote mayoral spokesperson Jon Ewing.
The area still faces a general risk of hazardous weather. The tornado watch — which indicates that weather conditions may produce tornadoes — was expected to remain in effect until 9 p.m. It also covers points north toward Greeley, south toward Douglas County, and east to Kansas.
“We're mostly looking at a larger hail threat today on top of a few tornadoes,” said Greg Heavener, the warning coordination meteorologist for NWS Boulder and Denver. “The main threat for the storms today is very large hail, upwards of 2- to possibly 4-inch diameter hailstones, possibility of a tornado or two also as we get from the metro area out towards the Eastern Plains of Colorado.”
NWS also issued severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of the metro.
"We understand that unexpected siren activations can be concerning and appreciate the public's patience and understanding. The cause of the inadvertent activation is being reviewed, and appropriate steps will be taken to help prevent similar incidents in the future," wrote Loa Esquilin-Garcia, a spokesperson for the city's Office of Emergency Management, in an email.
Kiara DeMare and Paolo Zialcita contributed to this article.
Editor's note: A sub-headline in this article was corrected to note that the area was under a tornado watch, not warning.
