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Thunderstorms are expected across parts of the central United States on Thursday, with large hail, damaging winds, flash floods and a couple of tornadoes all expected to be in the mix.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service said these storms were typical for late spring and not nearly as severe as those that caused historic flooding at the beginning of the month, but they also warned that the storms could be unpredictable.
Here’s what to expect:
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The most severe weather is likely to occur in the central and southern Great Plains, especially the Texas Panhandle, including the cities of Amarillo, Lubbock and Plainview. Winds up to 70 miles per hour and hail from two inches to three and a half inches (from the size of a lime to a little bigger than a baseball) are possible, along with a tornado or two.
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Severe thunderstorms are possible by later afternoon across southwest Kansas and into the Panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas. The storm activity is forecast to continue overnight across western Oklahoma.
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A portion of the central United States is also at risk for isolated instances of heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding. That includes parts of East Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Louisiana.
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By the afternoon, several tornado warnings and watches had been issued across the region, including a warning in Omaha, Neb. (Warnings are issued after a tornado is spotted on a radar or a trained spotter sees a tornado, while watches mean the conditions to form a tornado are in place.)
Thursday’s thunderstorms are part of a stormy weather pattern that has persisted this week and is typical for late spring.
Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center, said the thunderstorms were scattered and unpredictable because they’re associated with several smaller storm systems moving east rather than with a single big one.
“You have a strong storm, it’s more predictable,” and you know where the heaviest rain might be, Mr. Chenard said. “We don’t have a strong storm, but we still have enough instability and moisture to get thunderstorms.”
He said a cluster of thunderstorms that dumped rain over Louisiana on Thursday morning exemplified the volatility of the weather right now. “It wasn’t expected to be there, and it just flared up and it was there,” he said.
Thunderstorm activity is expected to continue into Friday, but Mr. Chenard said the threats were expected to move east into the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and portions of the Mid-Atlantic. “At this point, tomorrow is not looking to be as severe,” he said.
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