More storms to drench Midwest, hard-hit Texas and New Mexico this weekend
Storms are passing through the Midwest, with heavy rain drenching Iowa and parts of Illinois as of Friday morning.
Overall, 19 million people are under the threat of hazardous storms capable of impacting major cities, including Kansas City, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Grand Rapids, from northern Missouri into western Michigan.
Severe thunderstorms will head east by Saturday, impacting eastern Michigan and parts of northern Indiana. One to two inches of rain is possible as the system tracks east, but some areas could see isolated amounts of three to five inches through the weekend.
Friday morning's storms have already impacted travel, causing chaos at airports and prompting caution on roads. As of 8:30 a.m. ET, there's been over 900 flight delays within, into or out of the U.S. and over 280 cancellations, according to Flightaware data.
Flood threat will also return to hard-hit Texas and New Mexico, where recovery operations are still underway and soils remain saturated.
Catastrophic floods hit central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend that left more than 100 people dead, and historic flash floods hit the remote village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, this week and killed at least three people.
In those floods, the Guadalupe River near Kerrville, Texas, surged more than 20 feet in 90 minutes during the storm, washing away roads and inundating homes. In New Mexico, the Rio Ruidoso River rose 18 feet in just 30 minutes, and flooding fell on burn scars from the South Fork and Salt fires that occurred last year.
Friday will be a dry day for these states, but thunderstorms will return over the weekend, fueled by abundant Gulf moisture.
A slight risk for flooding is in effect for Texas on Saturday, where thunderstorms with heavy rainfall are forecast for the Texas Hill Country. A flood risk is in place from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, into San Angelo and Kerrville, Texas, on Saturday.
Thunderstorms will also be possible over New Mexico, including the Ruidoso area. Storms will be a bit more isolated in this area, but there is a heightened risk of burn scar flooding into Sunday morning.
Come Sunday, more showers and storms are forecast across the Southern region.
Rain has also inundated the East Coast earlier this week, snarling traffic, leading to water rescues, and killing at least two in North Carolina.
The Alamance County sheriff's office in North Carolina said two people died in traffic-related incidents after vehicles were swept off the roadway in floods.
The U.S. observed at least four 1-in-1,000-year rainfall events in the past week in Texas, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Illinois.
Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at the nonprofit organization Climate Central, said that "any one of these intense rainfall events has a low chance of occurring in a given year...so to see events that are historic and record-breaking in multiple parts of the country over the course of one week is even more alarming."
Scientists say the climate crisis and a warming planet are fueling heavier rainfall events. A warmer atmosphere can hold more water, making storms capable of dumping huge amounts of rain over land. Studies have shown that for every degree Fahrenheit that the planet heats up, the atmosphere can hold around 3% to 4% more moisture.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
US cities have seen an 80 percent increase in extreme heat streaks
Life-threatening heat waves and consecutive hot days, known as heat streaks, are increasingly affecting US cities due to human-caused climate change. A report by the non-profit Climate Central revealed an 80 percent increase in extreme heat streaks across 247 analyzed US cities, with 198 cities experiencing two more streaks annually than in the early 1970s. Cities in the Southwest, Northeast, Ohio Valley, and Southeast, including Nashville and Raleigh, have seen the most significant rise in heat streak frequency. Prolonged heat poses severe risks, such as increased heat-related illnesses, worsened air quality, and strain on electrical grids, with heat being the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the US, accounting for 2,325 deaths in 2023. A new heat wave is currently impacting 100 million Americans, bringing temperatures up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above average and 'feels like' temperatures potentially reaching 115 degrees Fahrenheit in some regions.
The Independent
19 hours ago
- The Independent
What are heat streaks? The extreme weather phenomenon on the rise
If it feels like this hot summer is never ending, that's because life-threatening heat waves are becoming stronger and lasting longer due to the effects of human-caused climate change. Heat streaks, or the number of consecutive hot days, are also on the rise across U.S. cities, according to the non-profit Climate Central. Of the 247 cities the group analyzed, the number of extreme heat streaks has increased by 80 percent. 'When extreme heat lingers for days during heat waves, or heat streaks, the risk of heat-related illness rises — particularly for children, pregnant people, and weather-exposed workers among others,' Climate Central said. The report examined the changing frequency of extreme heat streaks in those cities from 1970 to 2024. On average, it found that the 198 cities experience two more extreme heat streaks a year than in the early 1970s. Cities in the Southwest, Northeast, Ohio Valley, and Southeast saw the largest increase in frequency. Tennessee's capital of Nashville, North Carolina's capital of Raleigh, Wheeling, West Virginia, and Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, all now see five more streaks than in the early 1970s. The consequences of these extreme weather events can be severe. They can worsen air quality, potentially sending people with respiratory illness to the hospital. They can also strain the electrical grid and lead to power outages that expose people to the dangerous heat. Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., with a record 2,325 heat deaths recorded i n 2023. Friday marks the beginning of another dangerous and oppressive heat wave for 100 million Americans. The heat dome will bring temperatures between five and 15 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average, with temperatures of 95 degrees or even higher, according to AccuWeather. In New York, where the 'feels like' temperature on Friday was expected to hit 105 degrees, residents will also have to deal with high humidity, severe thunderstorms, and damaging wind gusts of up to 58 miles per hour. Humidity can make hotter temperatures feel even worse, resulting in a faster heartbeat and other negative health effects. "The combination of extreme temperatures, high humidity and light winds will likely send afternoon AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures to between 110 and 115 [degrees Fahrenheit] from the states that touch the western part of the Gulf through Oklahoma and Arkansas, as well as portions of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said. "At this level, it can be dangerous for many people who are exposed to the heat for an extended period of time, leading to heat-related illnesses that can sneak up on some individuals,' he noted. The heat is expected to linger into early next week, as the dome expands over the Central U.S. and Southeast states.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Met Office issues urgent yellow thunderstorm warning
Parts of South East England were battered by torrential downpours today with more than an inch of rain falling in just an hour as trains were suspended due to flooding. The Met Office imposed a yellow thunderstorm warning for parts of East Sussex and Kent until 5pm, covering Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Folkestone and Dover. Some areas were told to expect 20mm (0.8in) to 25mm (1in) of rain in less than an hour, with 30mm (1.2in) to 40mm (1.6in) in one to two hours in a few locations. The alert, which was activated as soon as it was announced at 12.52pm today, comes amid concerns driving conditions will be affected by spray and standing water. Forecasters also warned of power cuts; damage to buildings and structures from lightning strikes; flooding of homes and businesses; and delays to public transport. Train operator Southern said its services between Hastings and Ashford International had been cancelled this afternoon after the railway flooded and blocked all lines. As for the rest of the UK today, there will be scattered showers in other southern and western areas with a mix of bright spells and a few light showers elsewhere. Showers will slow fade this evening, although a few will continue across East Anglia and South West. Most other areas will see a combination of cloud and clear spells. The wet weather comes after a dry and hot spring and three heatwaves so far this summer which left four regions of England in drought. England recorded its driest March to June period since 1893, and dry ground can make flooding more likely as it is unable absorb as much water. Despite four days of downpours since Saturday, company bosses said they could not confirm when restrictions will end because it is 'generally waiting for rain'. Customers living in postcodes starting OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9 now have the ban - but it was avoided by London, which is also served by Thames Water.
