The Storm Prediction Center says a Tornado Watch will likely be issued soon for parts of south-central Kansas into southeastern Nebraska and northwest Missouri as the atmosphere rapidly becomes primed for dangerous severe weather.
Forecasters say warm, humid air surging northward into Kansas is helping thunderstorms begin to develop along a cold front and nearby boundaries left behind by earlier storms.
The FOX Forecast Center is especially concerned because winds near the ground are turning sharply with height — a key ingredient that can help thunderstorms rotate and produce strong tornadoes.
Any storms that form this afternoon could quickly become supercells capable of producing giant hail, destructive winds and strong to intense tornadoes.
Forecasters say the greatest concern is for isolated storms that can remain separate from each other, since those storms have the highest potential to produce long-track tornadoes before eventually merging into a larger line of storms later tonight.
A new Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for parts of Michigan until 8 p.m. ET as a powerful line of storms pushes eastward across the state.
The Storm Prediction Center warns the storms could produce damaging wind gusts up to 80 mph, frequent lightning, torrential rain and isolated hail.
The threat comes as a fast-moving bow echo moves inland from Lake Michigan, bringing the potential for widespread wind damage.
People across the watch area should stay alert for rapidly changing weather conditions and be prepared for possible severe thunderstorm warnings later this afternoon and evening.
A powerful line of severe thunderstorms is racing across Lake Michigan and into parts of lower Michigan this afternoon, prompting forecasters to warn that a new Severe Thunderstorm Watch will likely be issued soon.
The Storm Prediction Center says the northern edge of the bow echo — a fast-moving, bow-shaped line of storms known for producing destructive straight-line winds — could bring wind gusts between 65 and 80 mph as it moves inland.
The storms are feeding off a very unstable atmosphere, allowing powerful downdrafts to develop along the leading edge of the line.
People across lower and central Michigan should be prepared for damaging winds capable of knocking down trees and power lines as the storms continue pushing eastward through the afternoon.
{{#rendered}}Power outages are climbing across Illinois after severe thunderstorms blasted the state with damaging winds and heavy rain.
More than 16,000 customers are now without electricity as utility crews work to restore power following the storms.
The outages come after powerful winds swept across parts of the Chicago metro and northern Illinois, toppling tree limbs and damaging power lines.
Chicago is beginning to assess storm damage after severe thunderstorms ripped through the metro area with wind gusts topping 75 mph.
The powerful storms knocked down tree limbs, caused scattered power outages and disrupted travel across the city as heavy rain and dangerous winds swept through the region. Officials are continuing to evaluate reports of damage while cleanup crews work to clear debris left behind by the fast-moving storms.
A powerful 79 mph wind gust was recorded at Chicago Midway International Airport as severe thunderstorms swept through the Chicago metro area Monday.
The intense winds, equivalent to a low-end Category 1 hurricane, blasted through the airport as storms brought heavy rain, dangerous lightning and rapidly changing conditions across the city.
The severe weather has also caused flight delays and ground stops at Chicago-area airports throughout the day.
{{#rendered}}Chicago's magnificent skyline has disappeared as severe thunderstorms bear down on the city.
FOX Weather's camera downtown shows torrential rain hammering the city as storms barrel through the metro.
FOX Weather cameras captured ominous dark clouds rolling toward downtown Chicago as severe thunderstorms slammed the metro area Monday morning.
The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 11:30 a.m. CT for the metro area.
The FAA has issued a ground stop for Chicago Midway International Airport until 12:45 p.m. ET as severe thunderstorms move across the Chicago metro area.
The dangerous weather is bringing heavy rain, lightning and strong winds to the region, forcing air traffic officials to temporarily slow arrivals for safety reasons.
A ground stop means flights destined for Midway are being held at their departure airports until conditions improve.
Travelers should expect delays and check with their airlines for the latest flight information as storms continue to impact operations across Chicago-area airports.
{{#rendered}}A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for the Chicago area until 11:30 a.m. CT as strong storms move through the metro.
The storms are capable of producing damaging wind gusts, torrential rain, frequent lightning and small hail. Residents are urged to move indoors immediately and avoid travel if possible as the line of storms pushes across the city.
Flights at Chicago-area airports are also experiencing delays as the dangerous weather impacts the region.
Severe thunderstorms approaching the Chicago metro are beginning to disrupt air travel across the region, with delays steadily mounting at area airports.
According to Federal Aviation Administration data, flights destined for Chicago O’Hare International Airport are averaging delays of about 1 hour and 15 minutes before takeoff as storms move closer to the city.
Dangerous weather, including strong winds, lightning and heavy rain, can force airlines and air traffic controllers to slow operations for safety reasons.
Travelers flying into or out of Chicago this afternoon should check directly with their airlines for the latest flight updates as conditions continue to deteriorate.
Severe thunderstorms are approaching the Chicago metro area from the southwest as a line of strong storms pushes across northern Illinois this morning.
The storms could bring damaging wind gusts, torrential rain, frequent lightning and pockets of hail as they move into the city and surrounding suburbs.
Residents across the Chicago area should be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions and possible Severe Thunderstorm Warnings as the line moves through.
{{#rendered}}A new Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for parts of Illinois and Indiana, including Chicago and Indianapolis, through 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) as strong to severe storms move across the Midwest.
Forecasters warn the storms could produce damaging wind gusts, large hail and frequent lightning as they track eastward through the afternoon.
Residents across the watch area should stay alert for rapidly changing weather conditions and be prepared for warnings later today.
Remember, a watch means conditions are favorable for severe storms to develop in and near the watch area.
When severe weather threatens, one of the most important things to understand is the difference between a watch and a warning.
A watch means conditions are favorable for dangerous weather to develop. For example, a tornado watch means the atmosphere is capable of producing tornadoes.
During a watch, you should stay alert, monitor forecasts and be ready to act quickly if conditions worsen.
A warning means dangerous weather is happening or about to happen. A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been spotted or detected on radar.
At that point, you should take action immediately and move to a safe place.
A simple way to remember it: A watch means “be prepared,” while a warning means “take action now.”
A dangerous weekend severe weather outbreak swept across the central U.S., producing tornadoes, giant hail, destructive winds and life-threatening flash flooding across more than a dozen states.
The most dramatic scenes came out of Nebraska on Sunday, where a powerful tornado prompted the National Weather Service office in Hastings to issue a rare Tornado Emergency for Thayer County, including the city of Hebron.
Video captured the massive tornado churning across the Plains as storms intensified across the region.
Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, forecasters received well over 400 severe weather reports, after issuing more than 70 Tornado Warnings and over 400 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.
More than 50 reports involved significant hail or damaging winds stretching from South Dakota and Nebraska through Kansas, Iowa and even parts of Michigan.
The largest hailstone reported during the outbreak measured an incredible 3.5 inches in diameter near Palmer, Nebraska.
Flooding also became a major threat during the outbreak. On Saturday, the National Weather Service in Kansas City issued a Flash Flood Emergency for Grundy County, Missouri, including the city of Trenton, after more than 8 inches of rain fell and dangerous flooding rapidly developed.
{{#rendered}}The FOX Forecast Center says this morning’s thunderstorms across Kansas and Missouri could play a major role in determining how dangerous today’s severe weather outbreak becomes later this afternoon and evening.
The storms are producing cooler rain-cooled air and cloud cover, which could temporarily slow the atmosphere’s recovery.
But if enough sunshine breaks through by this afternoon, temperatures rising into the 80s combined with rich Gulf moisture and powerful upper-level winds could rapidly create an explosive environment for severe thunderstorms.
FOX Weather meteorologists say isolated supercells may develop across central and northeastern Kansas into southeastern Nebraska by late afternoon.
Those storms could quickly become capable of producing giant hail, strong tornadoes and destructive winds before eventually merging into a larger line of storms tonight.
Thunderstorms pounding the St. Louis area are now causing some incoming flights to divert to other airports as dangerous weather moves over St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
The diversions come as lightning, heavy rain and strong storms continue to impact airport operations across the region. Travelers heading to or through St. Louis should expect delays and possible schedule changes as airlines work around the severe weather.
Thunderstorms moving through the St. Louis area prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a ground stop for St. Louis Lambert International Airport through 11:30 a.m. ET.
A ground stop temporarily prevents flights bound for the airport from taking off at their departure airports, helping reduce congestion and improve safety during dangerous weather.
Travelers should expect delays and check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information as storms continue to impact the region.
{{#rendered}}A potentially dangerous severe weather outbreak is expected across parts of the Plains today, especially in Kansas and southeastern Nebraska, where the Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 4 out of 5 severe weather risk.
FOX Weather meteorologists say sunshine and surging humidity will help fuel explosive thunderstorm development by mid-to-late afternoon. Cities including Wichita, Topeka, Salina and Manhattan are in the highest threat zone.
The first storms that develop are expected to become rotating supercells capable of producing strong tornadoes, destructive winds and giant hail as large as baseballs or softballs.
However, meteorologists say the tornado threat could depend on how long storms remain isolated before merging into a larger line of storms.
If storms quickly cluster together, the threat could shift more toward widespread damaging winds later tonight.
Flash flooding is also a concern from Missouri into Iowa, where repeated rounds of storms could dump 3 to 5 inches of rain in a short amount of time.
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