Tornado outbreak set to slam three US states as meteorologists issue urgent warning
Story by Debadrita Sur
• 1h •
Meteorologists have issued severe weather warnings to three states in the United States that will be ravaged by potentially violent tornadoes.
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho have been placed under severe weather warnings as of Wednesday. Cities like Vancouver, Tacoma, Seattle, and Portland are under the biggest threat.
Meteorologists said that these states can see "severe and violent" thunderstorms Wednesday into Thursday due to unseasonably warm temperatures that are up to 20 degrees hotter than usual.
Oregon, in particular, had record high temperatures at 80 degrees, smashing its previous record of 74 degrees in 1966.
Severe weather conditions will include heavy rain, hail, and strong wind gusts up to 60 mph.
The storms will also produce tornadoes Wednesday night in areas west of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and Washington- areas that only experience two or three minor tornadoes annually.
According to AccuWeather, these gusts are going to be dangerous for those outdoors as they can snap tree limbs and uproot poorly rooted trees.
The storm could also cause a severe power outage.
Heavy rain will follow the storms, drenching the regions on Thursday and Friday.
At least 40 people died across several states due to a similar spurt of severe weather.
"As the upper levels of the atmosphere cool while the warmth near the ground peaks, some of the thunderstorms can become severe and violent," AccuWeather meteorologist Grady Gilman said, Daily Mail reported.
While the tornado risk is lower than in other central states until recently, Gilman said that the possibility of a dangerous tornado in these regions still exists.
Due to heavy rain, flash flooding and mudslides are possible along the western slopes of the mountain range.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has placed Americans under a winter-weather watch in mid-March due to a polar vortex collapse that will lead to frigid temperatures sweeping across the country, causing travel disruptions.
Map showing states with severe weather watch © Accuweather
Map showing unseasonably warm temperatures © Accuweather |
