Atlanta to Pittsburgh, Detroit at risk for severe weather into Monday night
Multiple homes were damaged, trees were toppled and power lines were snapped as severe storms hit Raleigh, North Carolina, on June 20. The storms powerful winds reportedly reached upwards of 50 mph in some areas.
Monday will mark yet another day of severe weather threatening a part of the United States, with the threat zone focusing on the corridor from southern Michigan and western Pennsylvania to northern Georgia.
While New England enjoys an extended stretch of comfortable weather, warmer and more humid air surging over areas to the southwest will set the stage for a system from the Midwest to spark potentially damaging thunderstorms.
Into Monday night, the threat zone will stretch from Atlanta to Nashville to Indianapolis; Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania; Milwaukee and Detroit.
Violent thunderstorms may also develop eastward to the western Carolinas and the Interstate-81 corridor of Virginia.
"The primary threat in these areas will be damaging wind gusts, but a few instances of hail are likely with the strongest thunderstorms," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda. "While an outbreak of tornadoes is not anticipated, a couple of tornadoes will also be possible."
A tornado was reported near Charleston, West Virginia, shortly after 7 p.m. EDT.
Strong winds also swept through the Atlanta area, leaving tens of thousands without power on Monday evening.
The majority of the severe weather is expected to only last into the evening hours, threatening sporting events and other outdoor plans scheduled during that time.
Remember to seek shelter as soon as thunder is heard to avoid being struck by lightning.
"Early-morning rain and thunderstorms moved through some of these regions," according to Sojda. "That can impact where exactly the best chance of severe thunderstorms will unfold later on."
Sojda is also concerned that any downpours can heighten the flood risk further in areas that get hit again later in the day and evening.
Even outside of Monday's severe weather zone, AccuWeather meteorologists are concerned for a continued threat for flooding across the lower Mississippi Valley as drenching thunderstorms linger into Monday morning.
Regardless of flooding, downpours can lead to reduced visibility and a risk of vehicles hydroplaning when traveling at highway speeds.
In addition to I-81, the downpours can create these hazards and slow down travel on stretches of interstates 40, 59, 64, 70, 71, 75, 77 and 80.
"Thunderstorms can still produce gusty winds as they track across the rest of Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York on Monday night and into early Tuesday," according to Sojda.
Rain and a few thunderstorms will then focus on New England on Tuesday as drier weather unfolds across the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic.
Additional showers and thunderstorms are anticipated to erupt across the northeastern United States daily through the rest of the week, but only over a fraction of the region.
Most communities will not receive rain every day. Residents, however, will be cranking up fans and air conditioners as warm and humid air dominates.
Download the free AccuWeather app to stay alert to severe weather watches and warnings. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
