National Weather Service Confirms Tornado Near Biola in Madera, Fresno Counties

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning Monday for south central Madera County and northwestern Fresno County after confirming a tornado near Biola, west of Fresno.

The warning said the tornado was moving northeast at about 15 mph. It was issued as part of a storm system moving through California's Central Valley.

Local reporting said the warning prompted brief shelter-in-place measures in Clovis Unified schools. ABC30 reported the warning expired around 3 p.m. local time.

The Fresno Bee said there were no immediate reports of damage at the time of publication, while other local outlets reported a tornado had been observed near Biola. The National Weather Service warning identified the tornado as confirmed.

The exact path and any later impacts were still being assessed Tuesday morning. Based on the reporting available so far, officials had not yet publicly confirmed injuries or significant damage.

The warning added another severe-weather event to a day of active storms in the Fresno-area Central Valley, where forecasters were tracking the system closely through the afternoon.