Posted: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:54 AM - 10,444 Readers

By: Isadora Vail & Ciara O'Rourke

As a cold front moved across Central Texas on Thursday evening, some areas received much-needed rain.

Some of the heaviest rain, with some reports of hail, fell in Hays County. Wind gusts reached up to 60 miles per hour in some areas, and lightning strikes were frequent, the National Weather Service said.

South Hays Fire Department Chief David Smith said that the wind didn't cause any damage, though lightning did spark a brief grass fire off Fox Road.

Phillip Taylor, a spokesman with the Hays County sheriff's office, said no damage from the storms was reported.

Light rain fell briefly in parts of Austin after 8 p.m. The Hill Country saw scattered storms, but much of the heaviest rain fell south of Interstate 10.

The high today is expected to be 90 degrees, likely leaving triple-digit weather behind until next year. Thursday was the 90th day this year the Camp Mabry weather station recorded 100 degrees. The previous record of 100-degree days, 69, was set in 1925.

As the front moves through the region today , high winds and low humidity will combine to create high fire danger. A red flag warning has been issued from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. today . Counties under the warning include Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, Comal, Lee, Burnet, Llano, Blanco and Gillespie.

The spotty rainfall this week will do little to diminish the fire danger, said Paul Yura of the National Weather Service.

As October arrives Saturday, Central Texas will see some of its first fall-like weather, with highs barely reaching 90 and lows in the low 60s

*  Story Contributed by: Isadora Vail & Ciara O'Rourke