The central United States is bracing for the end of a potentially dangerous weekend as forecasters track the threat of severe weather Sunday. That includes the possibility of a derecho that could hit parts of Kansas and Oklahoma with destructive wind gusts exceeding 160 mph and hail the size of baseballs.
This comes on the heels of another deadly derecho that hit Texas and Louisiana on Thursday, whipping the Houston metro area with winds of up to 160 mph, killing at least seven people and leaving more than 1 million customers without power. It is something.
Sunday marks the beginning of a multistate severe weather threat expected to affect millions of people from the Plains to the Midwest until at least Tuesday, but not until at least the middle of the year in the central United States. The threat of severe weather will continue. Upcoming work week.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is increasing the threat of severe weather Sunday, focusing on central Kansas where the threat of destructive wind gusts and large hail is highest.
The threat will spread to the East on Monday and Tuesday, putting tens of millions of people in the Plains and Midwest at risk of extreme weather.
A potential derecho could explode across the central United States today.
Severe thunderstorms are expected to develop in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma starting in the late afternoon and continuing into the evening, including a possible derecho, the SPC said.
“Devastating winds of 80 to 160 mph are possible, with localized gusts exceeding 160 mph.” SPC said In a discussion about predictions. “Very large hail and some tornadoes are also expected.”
Because of this threat, the SPC has classified approximately 570,000 people in Kansas at Level 4 out of 5 on a 5-point scale of severe thunderstorm risk.
This includes areas just north of Dodge City, Great Bend, Salina, and Wichita.
However, the threat of severe weather is not limited to these areas.
The SPC also placed about 850,000 people in parts of Kansas and northwestern Oklahoma at a level 3 out of 5 risk.
This threat includes Topeka, Wichita and Hays in Kansas, as well as Woodward in Oklahoma.
Severe thunderstorms in the region on Sunday could bring life-threatening lightning strikes, tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and large hail.
There is also a threat of tornadoes in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska, but forecasters said they are far more concerned about the threat of destructive wind gusts and baseball-sized hail. .
The SPC said there was an increased risk of supercell thunderstorms forming on Sunday, which could form bow echoes as they hit the region.
FOX Weather meteorologist Craig Herrera said, “From now on, we’ll be keeping an eye out for damaging winds.” “And when we’re talking about damaging winds, you’re talking about wind gusts of 125 miles per hour or more. The sustained wind speed from a hurricane is considered to be 114 miles per hour. That’s “It’s a gusty wind, but even wind gusts this fast and over 125 mph can cause some damage.”
And some of Sunday’s thunderstorms could produce wind gusts as strong as a Category 2 hurricane.
The SPC said wind gusts of 80 to 160 mph could occur in bands, with localized gusts reaching over 160 mph.
