United States: Another significant severe weather outbreak is unfolding across the Midwest and Ohio Valley on Friday, placing more than 146 million people on alert.
This comes following a turbulent Thursday that saw more than a dozen tornado reports, more than 135 damaging wind incidents, and more than 90 reports of large hail across the Upper Midwest. The threat of these dangerous conditions is expected to persist and potentially intensify into early next week.
A million people in the St. Louis metro area were placed under a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” Tornado Warning as a powerful thunderstorm moved through the area Friday afternoon. Hail up to the size of tennis balls was also reported with the storm.
Severe storms Friday morning in Pennsylvania led to a large tree falling on an Exeter Township home, causing moderate damage and injuries to an adult and a child inside, according to fire officials, according to Fox News.
In Kentucky, a storm in London caused significant damage to the roof of a business. No injuries were reported.
‘High-end’ tornadoes possible Friday
The most significant concern for Friday lies in the afternoon and evening hours, where NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 4 out of 5 risk of severe weather, particularly for southern Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.
A Tornado Watch has been issued for parts of America’s heartland, including St. Louis, until 7 p.m. Central Time.
This bull’s-eye region faces a high potential for strong tornadoes, possibly EF-2 or stronger. There is a possibility for a “high-end long-track tornado.”
“We’re not even talking about just the potential for tornadoes forming, but some of the tornadoes could be particularly strong, producing winds that are well over 115 mph,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said.
As the day progresses, storm coverage will continue to become more widespread, and several clusters will move east. The FOX Forecast Center noted that during the evening hours, several bowing segments of storms will move through the northern Tennessee Valley. This indicates that storms are producing extensive wind damage with widespread wind gusts potentially exceeding 75 mph.
Large hail remains a threat as well, potentially reaching the size of golf balls to softballs.
Severe storm threat continues through early next week
If storms can maintain their strength overnight, they could impact parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Saturday. Damaging wind gusts look to be the largest threat, the FOX Forecast Center said.
Another wave of severe weather will move across the central US. The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted the potential of severe weather in several areas of the country through early next week, according to Fox News.
“This is a classic severe weather setup for the Central Plains,” Merwin said. “You have all of that moisture streaming in from the Gulf, the cooler, drier air off the Rockies, and then you get that classic clash zone.”