Severe storms, unrelenting heat affecting millions in these US states
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on August 6, 2023
(CHICAGO) — Extreme weather is blanketing much of the United States as the weekend comes to a close.
The severe storms plaguing the Midwest on Saturday are now moving east.
Eight tornadoes were reported in Colorado, Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Funnel clouds were spotted in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and injuries were reported in Loveland, Colorado, and Almena, Kansas, from people being struck by golf ball-sized hail.
Hail also damaged a camper and broke car and home windows in Almena, Kansas, according to reports to the NWS.
Active storms were occurring in Oklahoma on Sunday morning, with the possibility of alerts for dangerous wind and thunderstorms should a system become organized there.
The main area under threat on Sunday is eastern Missouri to western Virginia, with forecasts for damaging wind, large hail and isolated tornadoes, according to the NWS.
The threat will intensify on Monday as the system continues to march east.
More than 60 million people will be under the storm zone on Monday, with enhanced risk from Atlanta to Baltimore for damaging straight-line winds, tornadoes and large hail.
The strongest storms are expected to hit the Washington, D.C. area after 5 p.m., forecasts show.
Unrelenting heat is also continuing to affect much of the country.
Millions of Americans are under heat alerts from 11 states spanning the southern U.S. from Florida to California. The entire state of Louisiana is under an excessive heat warning due to scorching temperatures, with some regions topping the triple digits.
Austin, Texas, reached 106 degrees on Saturday, tying for the city’s daily record high. Sunday is expected to be Austin’s 30th consecutive day above 100 degrees, continuing its stretch past the 27-day record set in 2011.
The forecast in Austin calls for at least 105-degree temperatures through the week.
Elsewhere, record-high temperatures are predicted to occur on Sunday from Phoenix, Arizona, to Key West, Florida, including cities like Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi, New Orleans, Tucson and Albuquerque.
Triple-digit temperatures will be in place for much of the South on Sunday, with even higher heat indices. The feels-like temperature is expected to be in the 110 degrees and higher in places like Shreveport, Louisiana, Jackson, Mississippi and Dallas, forecasts show.
There is no end in sight for the heat dome situated in the South, with scorching temperatures predicted to last for at least another week.
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