'High Risk' Tornado Warning in Midwest, again!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Weather says at least two tornadoes it describes as very weak and brief have touched down and lifted near Kansas City, Mo. Warning sirens have been shut off downtown.

Meteorologist Julie Adolphson says there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage resulting from the tornadoes reported in suburban Overland Park, Kan., and near Harrisonville, Mo., south of Kansas City.

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center has issued a warning for a "high risk" of twisters meaning the deadly storms may develop, was issued from Missouri to Indiana, including Indianapolis and St. Louis, according to the weather service. Memphis, downstream from where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet in southern Illinois, is covered by the storm center’s forecast for later today.

“The potential is increasing for a major tornado outbreak,” the center said. “Widespread wind damage and large hail are also a prominent concern through the evening hours.”- A powerful spring storm will roll across the Plains moves from Kansas toward the lower Ohio Valley today.

- Strong tornadoes are possible today in eastern Missouri, eastern Arkansas, northwest Mississippi, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, southern Illinois and southwest Indiana

- Some tornadoes are also possible farther north in Illinois and Indiana

- Heavy rain will fall across the Great Lakes

- Severe thunderstorms redevelop in south central Missouri and north-central Arkansas during the middle of the afternoon

- They race eastward toward the Mississippi River during the later afternoon hours

- This evening they cross the Mississippi River and begin moving up the Ohio Valley

- Storms should begin weakening after midnight tonight as they approach Louisville and Cincinnati

- Besides the strong tornado threat the thunderstorms could also produce strong straight-line wind gusts and large hail

- Cities in the threat area include St. Louis, Little Rock, Memphis, Paducah, Evansville and Indianapolis.

- Other severe thunderstorms are possible in the middle and upper Ohio Valley, West Virginia, western Virginia, eastern Kentucky, northern Tennessee, southern Iowa, northern Illinois, eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma and northeast Texas

- Damaging wind gusts, hail and isolated tornadoes are possible in those areas

- The severe threat is lower Thursday as the system slides eastward

- Severe thunderstorms are possible from the eastern Great Lakes southwest to the central Gulf coast

- Damaging wind gusts, hail and a few tornadoes are possible with the strongest storms

Today’s outbreak comes a day after tornadoes swept across Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma yesterday, killing 14 people, according to the Associated Press. Earlier this week, at least 122 people were killed by a tornado in Joplin, Missouri, the single deadliest U.S. twister on records going back to 1950.

After yesterday’s storms, American Airlines, the third- biggest U.S. carrier, canceled more than 250 flights at its Dallas-Fort Worth hub and pulled 62 planes from service to inspect for hail damage, according to an e-mail from Tim Smith, a spokesman for AMR Corp. (AMR)

Some flights were canceled because crews and aircraft were diverted to other cities during the storm.

 

 http://www.noaa.gov/

http://www.weather.com/newscenter/stormwatch/