Severe weather tears through Midlands on Monday afternoon Chris Trainor, The State (Columbia, S.C.) May 3—The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Lexington County on Monday afternoon as a strong storm system ripped across parts of South Carolina. A tornado warning was issued for the Gilbert, Red Bank and Summit areas in Lexington County until 4:15 p.m. Monday. Aside from the possibility of a tornado, the weather service warned of the potential of lightning and quarter-sized hail. At 4:15 p.m., the weather service downgraded the alert to a severe thunderstorm warning for Lexington. The tornado warning for Lexington followed tornado warnings in several other counties in South Carolina, including Newberry, Greenwood, and Abbeville counties on Monday afternoon. Shortly after 2 p.m. Monday, the National Weather Service tweeted a confirmation of a tornado in Abbeville County. The Greenwood Index-Journal reported that Abbeville County tornado was near Lowndesville at one point.