Ground Stop Issued as ATL Airport Faces Weather Delays

Flight tracking site Flight Aware said all flights arriving in Hartsfield would be held where they are until 12:45 p.m. Thursday.

May 9, 2024, 11:15 a.m. EDT | Update May 9, 2024, 1:20 p.m. EDT

ATLANTA, Ga. — A ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was authorized Thursday due to thunderstorms, according to an advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration.

It is unclear how long the ground stop will last.

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The travel alert came amid a tornado watch triggered by severe thunderstorms bearing down on Georgia. The National Weather Service placed 59 counties under a tornado watch until 1 p.m. Thursday.

According to the flight tracking site Flight Aware, all flights arriving in Hartsfield are being held where they are until 12:45 p.m. Thursday.

Departures are delayed on average by at least 1 hour and 31 minutes, Flight Aware said.

Delays for planes arriving in flight average at least 1 hour and 22 minutes, Flight Aware said.

RELATED: Tornado watch issued for 59 GA counties amid severe storms

As the storms move through Georgia, the expected dangers are large hail, frequent lightning, locally heavy rain and damaging wind gusts. Isolated tornadoes are possible.

Then, another round of storms is expected to enter the area Thursday evening into Friday morning, before targeting central Georgia through Friday afternoon.

The weekend should be clear before a rainy start to next week with the arrival of a frontal system Monday and Tuesday, weather officials said.