Dangerous 'Derecho' Storms Slam Midwest With High Winds, Tornadoes

A dangerous weather situation is developing in the High Plains on Thursday, as severe thunderstorms capable of producing widespread damaging winds and a few strong tornadoes erupt across the region

The Storm Prediction Center, which is the branch of the National Weather Service that forecasts severe thunderstorms, has upgraded the region to a “High Risk” of severe weather. This is their most significant category of alert, and signals the high probability of damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes.

The storm outbreak is occurring because of a combination of weather factors at the surface and in the upper levels of the atmosphere, and forecasters say conditions are ripe for both long-lasting rotating thunderstorms, known as supercells, and a potential “derecho” event, which would produce widespread damaging winds across hundreds of miles of real estate Read more...