Derecho tracks across central US with destructive winds Monday night
A powerful line of thunderstorms may cause significant, widespread damage across part of the central United States into Monday night, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 115 mph.
Daily rounds of storms will bring the risk of strong winds and flash flooding from portions of the Plains and Midwest to parts of the Northeast, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
The combination of extreme heat in place over the south-central United States and ample amounts of moisture will help spark severe thunderstorms through early week along the northern fringes of the heat dome.
Derecho tracks across central US Monday night into Tuesday morning
As AccuWeather meteorologists accurately predicted, thunderstorms initially developed in Montana and the Dakotas Monday afternoon before congealing into a powerful derecho charging through portions of South Dakota and Iowa overnight.
The complex of thunderstorms will continue early Tuesday morning which can impact the morning commutes in Chicago and Milwaukee.
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As the derecho traversed portions of the Plains and Midwest Monday night, it generated numerous reports of wind gusts over 80 mph. The highest reported wind gust so far is 99 mph, just south of Sioux Center, Iowa.
More severe weather into midweek
The daily risk for severe thunderstorms across the Plains and Midwest will continue Tuesday afternoon and night stretching from Wyoming to portions of far western Iowa and Missouri as the front continues to move southward.
Localized damaging wind gusts, flooding downpours and hail will yet again become concerns in any thunderstorms during the afternoon and night.
Looking ahead to Wednesday, the front will continue to move south and eastward squashing the heat dome and focusing the risk for severe weather farther south and east compared to earlier in the week.
Severe thunderstorms can occur across a large expansive area from Montana through Missouri as well as farther east across the Ohio Valley into New England. Localized damaging wind gusts and flash flooding will be the primary hazards. Across the Plains, there will also be a risk for large hail.
The risk of severe weather will continue for parts of the mid-Atlantic on Thursday, as the risk shifts southward to include the Carolinas.
Drenching downpours that can lead to flooding, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas, will be the focal point for these storms. While flooding is the primary concern, locally damaging winds can occur in any thunderstorm.
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