Severe Thunderstorms Push Eastward
The same storm system that sparked over 100 severe weather incidents Wednesday, spawned at least five tornadoes, and injured five people, is aiming for the Southeast and part of the Ohio Valley into tonight.
The system is becoming stretched out and, as a result, there are three widely separated areas of concern for damaging thunderstorms through tonight.
A few thunderstorms that form over Indiana, northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, southwest Michigan, Kentucky and southwest Ohio into this evening will produce hail, gusty winds and perhaps an isolated tornado.
Farther south, thunderstorms over Florida and the southern Atlantic Seaboard will have their share of drenching showers and locally gusty thunderstorms through tonight. The main focus of the storms will be over Central and South Florida.
Orlando, Tampa and Melbourne are among the cities that will endure rounds of storms, some capable of producing flooding downpours, damaging winds, frequent lightning, and large hail. In the strongest storms, there can be an isolated tornado or waterspout. Some of the storm will make the trip into Naples, Fort Myers and Miami later on.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists are watching for a third area of thunderstorms, expected to fire up tonight over the lower Mississippi Valley and part of the Tennessee Valley. Lines of thunderstorms that form in this area would lead to damaging wind gusts and large hail.
Sporadic power outages can occur in any of these thunderstorm areas as gusty winds topple power lines and trees in some neighborhoods. Falling trees could cause injuries or damage to homes or vehicles.
Expect slow travel as the storms and areas of heavy rain move through.
People in these areas should pay close attention to the weather. If severe storms approach, take shelter immediately. Do not attempt to drive through flooded roadways.
This weekend, the storm's energy will be released in the form of a large, long-lasting wind and rainstorm in the Northeast, raising the concern for major flooding.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 113° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 30° | Bellemont, AZ |
| Precip | 9.70" | Miami, FL |
WeatherWhys®
A large, horrific tornado struck the city of Joplin, Mo., last year on this date. The twister cut a deadly path across the south side of the city, leaving over 159 dead and at least 1,150 injured. The Joplin tornado currently ranks as the 7th deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
This Day In Weather History
New Hampshire (1814)
A tornado crossed Merrimac, Litchfield, Londonderry and North Chester. The same storm produced hailstones that had an 11-inch circumference and weighed 1/2 pound.
Northeast (1989)
More rain in an already wet month. Monthly totals topped 11 inches at New York City, 9 inches at Bridgeport, Conn., and 8 inches at Baltimore (all three totals set records for May).
Rough Weather
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