New York City skyline illuminated by upward lightning during a powerful storm
Severe thunderstorms move from the Midwest to the Northeast, illuminating New York City with upward lightning.
Ayrton Ostley, Wochit
Widespread thunderstorms will bring hail and damaging winds to the country’s northern corridor starting Sunday evening, threatening Monday night’s commute with gusty rain and flash flooding, forecasters said.
The Great Lakes and Ohio Valley will face the greatest risk as large amounts of heat and moisture will cause the storm to avoid the top of a thermal dome across the plains and roar through eastern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin.
By Sunday evening, widespread storms are expected to move southeast into the Great Lakes region, bringing heavy rain and “widespread damaging wind gusts” of up to 135 mph, AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
“Daily thunderstorm activity can depend on where thunderstorms have formed previously, so it’s difficult to pinpoint the most dangerous locations for severe weather until just a few hours before a storm develops,” Buckingham said.
The Bureau of Meteorology said tree limbs were downed, power outages were possible, and lightning and heavy rain were expected into Monday afternoon and evening.
The severe weather is expected to eventually extend into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, particularly impacting travel along Interstate 95 from New York City to Raleigh, North Carolina. Damaging wind gusts, hail, and heavy rain all play a role.
Prolonged heavy rain along the northern edge of the system is expected to continue into Tuesday evening, increasing the chance of flash flooding from Buffalo to Boston. Severe weather is expected to hit parts of New England by Wednesday, with the possibility of flash flooding in urban areas and areas with poor drainage.
Elsewhere, dangerous heat is expected across the south-central United States, with afternoon highs in the upper 90s and low 100s Sunday and Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Heat index temperatures could reach 105 degrees to 115 degrees in the Rocky Mountains, Plains, Mississippi Valley and parts of the South, the weather service said.
