Summary of the day
Here’s a quick recap of today’s key events:
More than 50 million people across a large swath of the US were placed under a severe weather threat. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning on Friday afternoon for portions of the mid-Atlantic region, central High Plains and from the Arkansas vicinity southeastward into the Florida Panhandle and southwestern Georgia.
Hail up to the size of baseballs was reported in parts of central Arkansas, as thunderstorms continued to affect much of the south-eastern of the US on Friday afternoon.
Nearly 40 million people could be affected by a dangerous heatwave over a wide swath of the south central part of the United States over the long Juneteenth weekend. The agency has urged people from Texas to Florida to limit time outdoors, and issued excessive heat warnings and advisories in southern and eastern Texas, Louisiana and along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico through the holiday weekend.
The Texas power grid operator said it expected power use to break records next week as homes and businesses crank up their air conditioners. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said it has enough resources to meet next week’s power demand.
At least five people were killed after severe storms and tornadoes ripped across a swath of US southern states, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and causing widespread damage.
Three people were killed after a devastating tornado tore through the north Texas town of Perryton on Thursday evening, injuring dozens others and causing widespread damage.
Another person was killed on Thursday night in Escambia County, Florida, after a tree fell on their home during a tornado, authorities said. In Mississippi, a man died after a tree fell on him during stormy weather on Friday morning.
Devastating tornadoes are set to become more common across the US, experts have warned. Tornadoes have long posed a peril to a column of the central US known as “tornado alley”, spanning parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. That alley is widening and could stretch into the south-east of the US, according to a report.
Dangerous heat will continue through the Juneteenth long weekend and into next week, the National Weather Service has warned.
Heat headlines remain in effect over the weekend for central Texas and portions of north Texas as heat index values reach the 105-115 degree range, it writes.
Dangerous heat will continue through the weekend and into next week. Heat headlines remain in effect over the weekend for Central TX and portions of North TX as heat index values reach the 105-115 degree range. Take proper action to avoid heat-related illnesses. #txwx #dfwwx pic.twitter.com/UP28GfpDQ9
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) June 16, 2023
