Nearly 50 million people are at risk as severe storms sweep across the mid-Mississippi valley and midwest regions of the US on Monday, forecasters warn. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a level 4 out of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms across south-west Illinois and south-east Missouri, including major cities such as St Louis.
Forecasters warn of 'multiple strong to intense tornadoes, widespread severe/damaging wind gusts and scattered large to very large hail', with some hail potentially reaching baseball size. Wind gusts could climb to 60 to 70 miles per hour, bringing the threat of significant impacts including hail damage to vehicles, considerable tree damage, and wind damage to mobile homes, roofs and outbuildings, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
In Kansas City, fire crews responded to 11 water rescues involving vehicles before 6am on Monday, said battalion chief Riley Nolan. Most rescues were in typical high-water areas following heavy rains, with no injuries reported. NWS meteorologist Evan Bentley noted that tornadoes on Monday could reach EF2 to potentially EF3 strength, classified as 'strong' and 'severe'.
The NWS urges residents to take precautions, advising people to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building, seek shelter in a well-built structure and stay away from windows. The threat is expected to continue into Tuesday, with a plume of moist and unstable air setting the stage for several days of severe weather and heavy rainfall across the mid- to lower Mississippi valleys and the mid-south.
The latest storms follow a deadly weekend of severe weather. At least two people were killed when a tornado swept through northern Texas on Saturday night, and at least six others were injured.
