U.S. weather authorities have issued warnings for extreme weather, including the possibility of tornadoes, in three states.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned residents in Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee that large amounts of hail and damaging gusts of wind are set to move through the regions.
Why It Matters
March is the start of peak tornado season in the U.S., when weather conditions often create an environment ripe for severe storms. Tornadoes, which can develop quickly within a thunderstorm, present a risk of injury and even death.
What To Know
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center currently estimates that the chances of a tornado forming out of severe thunderstorms is at 5 percent, according to the agency’s website.
The NWS described the warning area as “East Texas into the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys,” with Arkansas and Alabama also facing additional threats of severe weather.
Furthermore, an AccuWeather forecast shown to Newsweek has predicted that areas expected to be affected today could see localized wind gusts of up to 60-70 miles per hour.
National Weather Service
The NWS said in a statement: “Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening from East Texas into the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys. Large hail and damaging gusts will be the main hazards.
“Heating and destabilization will be most prominent roughly from Memphis, TN southwestward into TX with dewpoints into the mid-60s F, with moderate deep-layer shear across the entire frontal zone.”
The severe weather warnings come after a series of deadly storms last week left at least 42 people dead across the central and southern U.S.
Missouri was hit the hardest, with at least 12 fatalities, according to NBC News. Three people were reportedly killed in Alabama and Arkansas each, four in Oklahoma, eight in Kansas, six in Mississippi, two in North Carolina, and four in Texas.
What People Are Saying
The National Weather Service said on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: “Sunday: Afternoon storms from western Tennessee southwestward to northeastern Texas may pose a risk for severe weather. While a tornado or two may be possible, greater risk appears to be hail and locally damaging wind gusts.”
What Happens Next
The storms are expected to reduce in intensity over the next few days as they lose momentum.
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