Chances of heavy rainfall and flash floods will reach the Mississippi Valley by Saturday as severe weather continues to persist across the central Plains, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, the interior Northwest and parts of the East Coast can expect more hot weather with Arizona still experiencing Excessive Heat Warnings and Critical Fire Risk.
Here’s a look at the U.S. forecast going into Friday.
Heavy rainfall and flash flooding in Kansas, Oklahoma
Thunderstorms across the Mississippi Valley bring upon the risk of flash floods in areas like Southern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma, AccuWeather meteorologist John Feerick told USA TODAY. However, it’s not out of the question to see severe storms make their way farther east, Feerick mentioned. High moisture in the atmosphere could cause thunderstorms with flooding downpour, isolated wind gusts and flash flooding across Missouri and Southern Illinois Friday afternoon.
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“Storms there could dump, you know, one to two inches of rain and in a matter of, you know, 30 minutes to an hour, in a very short period of time,” Feerick told USA TODAY.
Below are the areas with expected severe weather that could lead to possible flash flood warnings:
- Southern Kanas
- Northern Oklahoma
- Texas Panhandle
- Lake of the Ozarks
- Southern Missouri
- Northern Arkansas
- Southern Illinois
- Western Tennessee
Desert Southwest and parts of East continue to experience intense heat
In terms of the brutal summer heat, Feerick said people can expect more of the same.
The NWS reports Southern Arizona is still under Excessive Heat Warnings while the northern part of the state holds the risk of critical fire weather due to the combination of heat with dry and windy conditions.
Southern Florida could challenge daily heat records over the next couple of the days, according to the NWS, with the Northeast keeping its heat advisories in place.
