Central US to remain focal point of severe weather dangers into the weekend

AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking several more thunderstorm complexes that are expected to bring high winds and hail across portions of the Plains states into the weekend.

Severe thunderstorms have been erupting with a regular cadence across the middle of the nation over the past several weeks, hitting some communities on consecutive days while sparing others altogether.

Downtown Chicago was one major metro area hit by damaging weather on Wednesday as a tornado-producing storm toppled large trees and damaged warehouses near O'Hare International Airport.

AccuWeather forecasters have all the details on the zones that will remain at the greatest risk of severe weather dangers in the coming days over the Central states. Farther east, catastrophic flooding, accompanied by damaging winds in some cases, has pummeled portions of the Northeast with more rounds of heavy rainfall and severe weather to come.

Ripples of energy in the atmosphere are expected to continue to traverse the Plains states and may produce additional rounds of thunderstorms across the central and southern Plains.

While any number of these storms across the nation's midsection can turn severe over the weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists say the greatest risk may lie farther to the east across part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio Valley and to the western slopes of the central and southern Appalachians.

The rounds of thunderstorms could help to ease some of the ongoing severe to exceptional drought conditions that remain in place across Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.

Locations that get hit with the most persistent thunderstorms could receive 1-3 inches of rain into the weekend with localized higher amounts.

It is possible for much of that rain to occur in one to two hours, which can overwhelm storm drains, catch basins and small streams.

Some of the cities at risk for flash flooding and substantial travel delays on Saturday include Detroit, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski warned.

"The heaviest rain will erupt east of Chicago on Saturday, but there still could be localized problems in parts of the metro area before more storms erupt farther to the west and potentially move in on Sunday," Sosnowski said.

Into Sunday, the threat for severe storms is set to shift toward the immediate East Coast. While Flooding rain will be the primary concern still, damaging wind gusts will remain a threat across this heavily populated region

AccuWeather meteorologists expect rounds of severe weather to persist across the Plains into late July as the southwestern U.S. heat dome shifts a bit farther to the east and thunderstorm complexes continue to ride along the northern periphery of this feature.

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