Severe Weather Threatens Midwest, Southeast While Southwest Endures Heatwave
A broad expanse of the United States faces contrasting weather hazards this weekend, with intense thunderstorms anticipated across the Midwest, central Plains, and Southeast, while record-breaking heat persists in the Southwest. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued warnings for potentially damaging storms capable of producing significant rainfall and flash flooding throughout several regions.
The Midwest is bracing for a series of nocturnal thunderstorms extending through Monday. A corridor from northern Missouri into southern Iowa and southern Wisconsin is particularly vulnerable to heavy precipitation, with anticipated hourly rain rates reaching 2.5 inches and potential cumulative totals locally exceeding 9 inches. These conditions elevate the risk of hazardous flash flooding across the area.
Further south, a prolonged period of rainfall is expected in northern Florida and southern Georgia. The NWS office in Jacksonville, Florida, highlighted the ongoing threat of localized flooding due to saturated ground from continued heavy rain through the weekend, particularly along coastal southeast Georgia. Central and South Florida also face scattered showers and slow-moving storms that could generate damaging winds alongside substantial downpours.
Simultaneously, a relentless heatwave continues to grip the Southwest. Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico are experiencing widespread temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Phoenix reached a record high of 118 degrees on Thursday, surpassing both daily and monthly benchmarks. Several other cities in Arizona, including Scottsdale, Yuma, Blythe, and Deer Valley, have also established similar temperature records recently.
While forecasts indicate slightly cooler conditions across the Southwest this weekend compared to previous days, temperatures nearing or exceeding 110 degrees remain a possibility. Albuquerque, New Mexico, registered a record-breaking high of 101 degrees on Friday, eclipsing its previous mark of 98 degrees set in 2011. A heat advisory remains active for the city until Saturday evening, before anticipated storms move through central and northeastern New Mexico on Sunday.
