Severe weather in several forms threatens many parts of the US this week
Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on severe weather for Monday, June 10.. For the latest news on heat advisories and severe storms, view our file for Tuesday, June 11.
Severe weather is forecast across the country this week, from extreme heat in the Southwest to powerful storms in the Plains region and days of torrential downpours across southern and central Florida.
On Monday, a swath of the south-central U.S. is at risk of strong thunderstorms capable of unleashing damaging winds, large hail and possible tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center.
The main threat: Winds are expected to reach up to 80 mph across western Oklahoma, western Texas and eastern New Mexico, according to AccuWeather. Storms also were expected to lash parts of Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas and Nebraska, where severe weather will develop Monday night, forecasters said.
"Large hail and damaging winds are the main threats, though a brief tornado cannot be ruled out," the weather service's Storm Prediction Center said.
As Monday's storms dissipate, meteorologists expect severe weather to ramp up across other parts of the U.S. On Tuesday, the Southwest faces scorching temperatures while a dayslong stretch of thunderstorms is set to begin soaking much of southern and central Florida.
Heat wave to bake Southwest as it extends into central US
The first heat wave of the year, which baked the Southwest with record-setting temperatures last week, will expand into the central U.S. by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, excessive-heat warnings were set to activate on Tuesday and last through Thursday across Arizona and California's Central Valley.
Temperatures in Flagstaff were expected to reach 105 to 110 degrees, and Phoenix could see afternoon temperatures of 105 to 112 degrees, the weather service said. In California, the San Joaquin Valley, lower Sierra Nevada foothills and the city of Bakersfield were in the path of triple-digit temperatures. Sweltering heat up to 107 degrees is anticipated across the Sacramento Valley, the weather service said.
By Thursday, states as far east as Kansas and Colorado will experience triple-digit temperatures while the East Coast, from Florida up into New England, will see consistent 90-degree weather. Though the heat dome will extend eastward, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas will experience temperatures well into the triple digits through the weekend, the weather service says.
Last week, cities across the Southwest hit record-breaking temperatures, including Phoenix at 112 degrees and Las Vegas, which reached 111 degrees on Thursday and 110 on Friday, both setting new record highs. Record temperatures also were recorded in California, Texas and central Florida.
More: Earth marks 12 straight months of record heat, a bewildering climate change milestone
The dome of sizzling temperatures in the West early week will engulf the Nation's Heartland starting Wednesday, then spread across the southern & eastern U.S. the second half of the week. While these regions heat up, the Pacific Northwest can expect a cool down by next weekend. pic.twitter.com/jtvmZ0FLpX
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) June 9, 2024
Heavy rain to end drought across south, central Florida
Storms are expected to dump heavy rain across south and central Florida this week, alleviating drought conditions and record-setting temperatures in recent weeks.
The front with its low-moving storms is forecast to hit Florida beginning on Tuesday, soaking much of the peninsula, especially South Florida, in a deluge that could reach 7 to 10 inches of rain through the weekend, and higher amounts are possible in some areas, the weather service said. In central Florida, including Orlando and Tampa Bay, 4 to 6 inches of rain could fall over the next five days, according to the weather service.
Increasing tropical moisture will interact with a stationary front over Florida beginning Tuesday resulting in slow moving thunderstorms with high rainfall rates. Heavy to excessive rainfall, possibly exceeding 10 inches in south Florida, may lead to instances of flooding,… pic.twitter.com/dZObMjdIoJ
— National Weather Service (@NWS) June 10, 2024
More information about the timing and amount of rain will “come into clearer focus” in the coming days, the weather service said.
Since last month, central and southern Florida have seen record-breaking temperatures. On Thursday, Sanford and Winter Haven, two cities just outside Orlando, as well as Punta Gorda, a small city north of Fort Myers, set heat records with temperatures near and above 100 degrees. In May, Miami and Hollywood hit record temperatures while Key West reached a heat index of 115 degrees, matching its highest on record.
The upcoming storms are expected to alleviate a drought across much of central and southern Florida, where some areas have only received 50 to 70% of the rainfall they usually see this time of year, according to AccuWeather.
“It's been said that 'all droughts end in floods,' and this may be no different," AccuWeather forecaster Alex DaSilva said.
National weather radar
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Severe weather in several forms threatens swaths of the US this week
