June 28 Severe thunderstorm photo sequence

* Heat retreating: Full Forecast | Hurricane Tracking Center *

2:09 p.m.: The gust front preceding the thunderstorm moves over Tysons Corner, Va. The Tysons Galleria is visible in the foreground. This photo was taken facing east.

About 1:45 p.m. on Monday, I received a call from my son who said our neighborhood pool in Oakton, VA had closed due to thunder and he and friend had taken cover from the approaching storm in our house, which is a short walk from the pool. He said the storm had not yet reached Oakton and they were safely inside. I work just to the east of Oakton, in Tysons Corner, and I could see the clouds approaching from the northwest.

Within moments, dark, swirling clouds associated with the thunderstorm's gust front moved overhead, providing a strong warning of the approaching storm. About 30 minutes later, the core of the thunderstorm hit Tysons Corner, blasting the area with heavy rain and strong winds.

The photos that follow show the progression of the storm through Tysons Corner and are time stamped. The last photo is of storm-related damage in Fairfax, Va.

2:22 p.m.: The gust front moves east of Tysons Corner.

2:28 p.m.: Lightning strikes as the center of the thunderstorm approaches Tysons Corner. This photo was taken facing west.

2:39 p.m.: The edge of the thunderstorm moves into Tysons with the rain shaft barely visible to the west. This photo was taken facing south.

2:43 p.m.: Heavy rain begins to fall. This photo was taken facing south, with the heaviest part of the rain obscuring visibility to the west.

2:43 p.m.: This photo was taken seconds after the above photo, with the heavy rain quickly advancing eastward.

2:45 p.m.: Very heavy rain falls, obscuring visibility to about a tenth of a mile.

3:28 p.m.: The storm moves east of Tysons Corner, with the back end of the rain shaft visible in the eastern sky.

4:56 p.m.: Two anvil tops of distant thunderstorms are visible in southeastern sky.

7:45 p.m.: A large tree has fallen across a brick home in Fairfax, Va. High winds associated with the thunderstorm toppled the tree.