First monsoon storms of the season arrive in Tucson area

"Isolated storms have made it to the south and east side of Tucson," the National Weather Service tweeted shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday.

"Rainfall amounts will be moderate, generally 0.2-0.8 inch. Storms will also be capable of gusty winds and lightning," the weather service added.

As of about 10:15 p.m., it still hadn't rained at Tucson International Airport, site of the city's official weather gauge, where it's been dry since May 19. As of that hour, the storms were five or six miles east of the airport, the weather service said. The 10 p.m. temperature at the airport was 90 degrees. 

To put the rainfall amounts some Vail residents were tweeting about into perspective, the total official precipitation for Tucson since Jan. 1 is 3.60 inches.

Residents' comments posted late Tuesday on the weather service's tweet included: 

"I have 1.6 inches in Vail."

"Been raining for about an hour in Vail. Lightning very close. Power been out about 45 minutes."

"Spotter ... in Rancho Del Lago, Vail. 2.00 inches of rain. Frequent lightning, very strong microburst winds, flooded yard, you name it."

"Hard rain" out by Saguaro National Park East.

"Thunder and lightning B'Way/Kolb."

And, the one we can all identify with, no matter what part of town we're in, each summer when the first monsoon storms arrive: "Finally!"