Forecasters are warning of a tumultuous and potentially dangerous week of weather across the United States, as severe thunderstorms and a relentless heat wave impact large swaths of the country.
A massive “heat dome” is expected to bring triple-digit temperatures to several states. On July 20, over 50 million Americans from Texas to Missouri were already under extreme heat warnings or advisories issued by the National Weather Service. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill stated the heat dome, caused by a bulge in the jet stream, could persist well into August.
“This has the look of a long-lasting heat wave with limited rainfall,” Merrill said, noting that areas like Kansas City could hit 100 degrees for the first time in two years. He also warned that drought conditions would likely expand through the central Plains and worsen in parts of Kansas and Nebraska.
Meanwhile, multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms are forecast for the Midwest and the East Coast, developing along the periphery of the heat dome. These storms could bring hail and wind gusts of up to 85 mph from southern Nebraska into Canada.
On July 21, the threat of flash flooding and damaging winds will extend across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski expressed significant concern for these areas, many of which are already saturated from recent heavy rainfall.
“We are highly concerned about the risk of dangerous to life-threatening flash flooding in the zone from southern Illinois and Indiana to central and eastern Kentucky, central and southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia,” Sosnowski said.
In a separate development, officials in Texas have significantly revised the number of people missing after devastating floods in Kerr County over the July Fourth holiday weekend. The number has been lowered from 97 to just three, following extensive verification efforts by state and local agencies to confirm the safety of those initially reported missing. The statewide death toll from the floods stands at 135, with 116 of the fatalities occurring in Kerr County.
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