Additional rounds of storms to rock eastern, central US

More thunderstorms will be on the prowl in portions of the eastern and central United States into Friday night, and some communities could be rocked by torrential downpours, frequent lightning strikes and strong wind gusts.

Flash flood watches were issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware on Friday as the heavy storms loomed across the region, including some parts that have already been saturated by repeated rounds of thunderstorms this week.

Severe weather across the lower 48 states on Thursday produced more than 300 reports of strong winds, large hail and even a few tornadoes, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC). The potent thunderstorms ignited without the presence of any powerful storm system.

June is a time of the year when moisture is plentiful in the atmosphere. Long days with strong sunshine provide ample heating for spotty storms to erupt, but when a disturbance, even if it's weak, moves through this loaded atmosphere, natural fireworks can occur with robust to severe thunderstorms in some cases.

The weather will remain busy in terms of thunderstorms across the Central and Eastern states into this weekend.

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Eastern US severe storm risk

One area that has been in the path of big thunderstorms in recent days is likely to experience locally severe weather again Friday afternoon into Friday night.

Following the derecho that rolled from Pennsylvania to New Jersey on Wednesday, slow-moving storms erupted over the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic region on Thursday into the early morning hours of Friday with frequent lightning strikes in some locations, such as Washington, D.C.

A nearby lightning strike injured two National Guardsmen in Lafeyette Park of D.C. after midnight on Friday. District of Columbia Fire and EMS reported that both members of the military were transported with non-life-threatening injuries.

WUSA9, the D.C. CBS affiliate, SkyCam captured vivid lightning striking the Washington Monument on Thursday evening.

Locations from New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania to Delaware, Maryland and Virginia will be at risk for one or more storms with heavy rain, strong wind gusts and more flashes of lightning.

"Where thunderstorms tend to repeat, which includes the area from northern Virginia to central New Jersey, will be the greatest risk for urban and small stream flooding into early Friday night," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.

"The storms are also likely to push into places that dodged severe weather much of this week. Areas in southeastern Virginia to central North Carolina can expect at least some heavy duty storms during Friday afternoon and evening," Anderson added.

The severe weather risk may shift farther to the north in the Northeast on Saturday as a weak push of cool air arrives.

Storms may turn severe along the leading edge of that cool push.

Central US severe storm risk

Farther west, a complex of thunderstorms developed during Thursday evening over portions of the central Plains and rolled southward into the Ozark Mountains and middle Mississippi Valley.

"More storms are likely to erupt into Friday night within the leading edge and to the south of these remnant storms from Thursday in Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, western Kentucky, western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, northern Louisiana and even into parts of Alabama," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz.

In addition to the likelihood of storms with torrential downpours, isolated flash flooding and localized damaging wind gusts, some communities can be hit with storms that bring hail and perhaps even an isolated tornado.

These two zones will not be the only places where storms can turn heavy, gusty and severe.

Pockets of severe evening thunderstorms are also likely over portions of the Rockies, Midwest and Southeast states. The storms over the Rockies are likely to be a precursor to a severe weather outbreak forecast to hit the northern tier of the central U.S. and the southern tier of central Canada this weekend.

During June and July, showers typically evolve into thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. The radar map on an average June early evening can be riddled with showers and thunderstorms -- and this week has been no exception.

This radar image from 6 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 4, 2020, shows storms dotting much of the United States. Green, yellow and red blotches are indicative of showers and thunderstorms. (AccuWeather)

A small number of storms can briefly become heavy enough to cause very isolated flooding, clusters of lightning strikes and brief wind gusts even without extra help from jet stream disturbances and fronts to act as triggers on an average summertime evening.

People spending time outside or on the road are urged to closely monitor the weather. Conditions could change quickly from one hour to the next during the afternoon and early evening.

Move indoors and away from windows at the first rumble of thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are at risk for being struck by lightning. Forecasters urge motorists to avoid driving through flooded areas. The road may have been washed away, and the water may be much deeper than it appears.

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