On Friday, extreme weather once again struck the Midwestern United States and the Ohio River Valley, putting over 143 million people on high alert. Meteorologists warned that in the coming days, stronger storms could be expected, including giant hail, powerful tornadoes, and destructive gusts of wind.
On Thursday, the Midwest saw over ten tornadoes, more than 135 reports of severe winds, and over 90 instances of large hail. This severe weather pattern is expected to continue impacting the region and could worsen at the beginning of next week.
In the early morning hours on Friday, the first round of storms swept through Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Arkansas, potentially bringing hail the size of coins and strong winds. In Arkansas, a supercell thunderstorm moved northeast at 55 miles per hour, with wind speeds reaching over 50 miles per hour.
However, the greatest risk is concentrated in the afternoon and evening on Friday. The U.S. National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a Level 4 severe weather alert for some areas of southern Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. EF-2 or higher tornadoes are expected, including the possibility of “intense, long-track tornadoes.”
Fox meteorologist Britta Merwin stated that wind speeds could exceed 115 miles per hour. Multiple bow echo systems are expected to move across the northern Tennessee Valley in the evening, bringing gusts of over 75 miles per hour.
The threat of giant hail continues, with sizes estimated to range from golf ball to baseball size. Additionally, heavy rainfall has saturated the soil and raised the risk of moderate-level flash floods.
If the storms persist, the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions could be impacted on Saturday, with the primary threat being strong winds.
A new wave of severe weather is expected to reemerge from the Midwest plains next week, extending from Omaha, Nebraska to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas by Monday. The storms are predicted to move eastward to locations like Paducah, Kentucky by Tuesday, potentially affecting graduation ceremonies and outdoor activities in those areas.