Metro Atlanta dodges severe storm damage

After a rush of tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms Wednesday, the damage was minimal with downed trees and power lines in the outer suburbs.

National Weather Service forecaster Rob Handel said Wednesday night that the storms had moved east of the Atlanta area, and there were no confirmations of any twister touchdowns.

Earlier in the day, strong winds damaged trees and power lines in parts of north Georgia. The weather came from a line of spring-like thunderstorms that spawned deadly tornadoes overnight in Oklahoma.

Late Tuesday night, eight people were killed in a tornado that ripped through the southern Oklahoma town of Lone Grove.

The forecast for metro Atlanta calls for a high of 68 Thursday with sunny skies.

Another chance of rain is forecast for Friday, along with highs in the low 60s and lows in the low 40s, the Weather Service said.

The outlook for the weekend is for mostly sunny skies, with highs around 60 degrees and lows in the 30s.