AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring a severe weather threat that is expected to develop throughout the day on Monday across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region.

The main risks associated with these storms will be damaging wind gusts and flooding downpours, but hail will also be a possibility, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Sadvary. He added that there will also be the potential for a tornado or two.

In the strongest of storms, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph will be possible.

The line of thunderstorms is likely to impact southeastern Minnesota, western Iowa and northwestern Missouri during the day Monday before pushing eastward and erupting over Wisconsin, eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois throughout the overnight hours.

The severe weather is being sparked by a seasonably strong cold front that will track across the United States through Thursday. This past weekend, this feature brought wet and cool conditions to locations extending from Washington to Northern California, which aided ongoing firefighting efforts across the region.

As of early Monday, thunderstorms were firing across southeastern South Dakota and eastern Nebraska, causing intense displays of lightning.

The National Weather Service office located in Rapid City, South Dakota, issued a hazardous weather outlook for parts of northwestern and southwestern South Dakota late Sunday night, noting showers and storms across the area had the ability to produce strong winds.

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As the storms progress into the Great Lakes region throughout Monday, storms producing rounds of soaking rain and gusty thunderstorms will become more widespread.

The severe threat will take aim at cities such as Minneapolis; Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri; and Chicago.

According to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, there are more than 32 million at risk for some form of severe weather Monday. Around 5.8 million live in an area that is currently being labeled as a slight risk, while nearly 28 million live in an area labeled as a marginal risk. The marginal risk is the lowest risk category on the SPC's outlook system.

Following the passage of storms, there will be dramatic shifts in temperatures with respect to the previous 24 hours, and particularly at night.

In the wake of this front, cooler and more seasonable air will filter back into the region. By the official start of fall on Wednesday, comfortably cool conditions are anticipated for some, but rain may linger in some locations.

"Heavy rain may continue for eastern Indiana and Ohio as this front crawls towards the East," Sadvary said.

As the week progresses, AccuWeather meteorologists say that the stormy pattern will reach the Northeast and produce rounds of slow-moving downpours in the region. However, severe storms are not anticipated.