Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Derecho blasts Plains with destructive winds as massive heat dome peaks

Weather in America: July 29, 2025

FOX Weather has you covered with the breaking forecasts and weather news headlines for your Weather in America on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. Get the latest from FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin.

Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It's Tuesday, July 29, 2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.

Destructive derecho unleashes hurricane-force wind gusts in northern Plains snapping trees, knocking out power

A destructive derecho snapped trees and knocked out power to tens of thousands of people as it tore across portions of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest with hurricane-force wind gusts late Monday night and into early Tuesday morning.

Sioux Center, Iowa, has reported the highest gust so far, reaching 99 mph. In Spencer, Iowa, a 92-mph wind gust was reported. Irene and Parker in South Dakota reported wind gusts of 87 and 85 mph, respectively.

As of early Tuesday morning, more than 100,000 power outages were reported in Minnesota, while just under 30,000 outages were reported in portions of Iowa.

Watch: Significant tree damage found after powerful storms sweep across South Dakota

A video shared by FOX Weather Exclusive Storm Tracker Brandon Copic shows significant damage to trees and structures after powerful storms swept across Hudson, South Dakota, on Monday, July 28, 2025.

Life-threatening heat dome prompts alerts for nearly 160 million from Plains to East Coast

A massive heat dome parked over the Southeast has prompted heat alerts, including Heat Advisories and Extreme Heat Warnings, for nearly 160 million Americans from the Plains to the East Coast through midweek.

Tuesday is expected to be one of the hottest days of the week, with more than two dozen record highs threatened from Florida to New England. The extreme heat continues into Wednesday, but the worst of it will be focused on the mid-Atlantic states.

Anyone spending time outdoors is advised to take precautions to avoid heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Young children and babies, along with older adults, should avoid prolonged time outdoors. When outdoors, it's important to drink plenty of water with electrolytes and spend time in the shade.

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Iona strengthens into major hurricane south of Hawaii as Tropical Storm Keli follows behind it

Hurricane Iona strengthened into a Category 3 storm hundreds of miles southeast of Honolulu late Monday night local time, as Tropical Storm Keli follows on Iona's heels several hundred miles to its east in the Central Pacific Ocean.

Both storms are expected to stay well south of the Hawaiian Islands, though the archipelago could see some enhanced wave heights this week.

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Watch this: Lightning strikes hood of truck during Texas storm

A truck was struck by lightning during an intense thunderstorm in Texas last week, and the entire thing was caught on video.

As the severe weather event unfolded, a bright bolt of lightning could be seen striking the front of his truck, and a loud thump could be heard.

Watch: Lightning strikes truck in Texas

A video recorded in southeastern Texas shows the moment a bolt of lightning struck a truck as it traveled on Highway 59 between Wharton and El Campo on Friday, July 25.

Before you go

Here are a few more stories you might find interesting.

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• See it: Dolphin calf reunited with mother after being freed from fishing net
• July’s dueling meteor showers peak this week and could outshine August’s Perseids

Need more weather? Check your local forecast plus 3D radar in the FOX Weather app. You can also watch FOX Weather wherever you go using the FOX Weather app, at FOXWeather.com/live or on your favorite streaming service.