Life-threatening tornado outbreak expected Wednesday amid rare high-risk severe weather threat

Tornado outbreak apt contiguous crossed Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky

A tornado outbreak is expected Wednesday and Wednesday nighttime for parts of the mid Mississippi and little Ohio Valleys into the Ozarks. Numerous tornadoes, including aggregate intense, long-tracked tornadoes are likely. The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center upgraded portions of KY, TN, MO and AR to a Level 5 retired of 5 menace for terrible storms today.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A tornado outbreak is expected Wednesday and Wednesday nighttime from parts of the mid-Mississippi and little Ohio valleys westward into the eastbound Ozarks, including the menace of aggregate long-track EF-3 oregon stronger tornadoes.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) upgraded portions of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi to a uncommon Level 5 retired of 5 "high risk" of terrible weather.

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This marks lone the 2nd clip this year, and the archetypal lawsuit of 2 specified high-risk alerts successful a azygous twelvemonth since 2021, that a Level 5 menace has been issued. The erstwhile Level 5 alert was issued connected March 15 erstwhile the National Weather Service confirmed 13 tornadoes, including six almighty EF-3s, which tragically resulted successful 7 deaths and 12 injuries.

Outside the high-risk zone, Wednesday's wide menace of terrible storms spans an country from North Texas to the confederate Great Lakes and besides includes the imaginable for hail larger than 2 inches successful diameter and damaging wind gusts successful excess of 70 mph.

While the top tornado hazard is expected from Wednesday day into Wednesday evening, severe weather is already ongoing successful parts of the cardinal U.S.

On Wednesday morning, a enactment of thunderstorms exploded crossed cardinal and eastbound Kansas. A tornado was spotted adjacent Salina, Kansas, arsenic the storms rolled done the region.

Farther south, parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex successful North Texas look a Level 3 retired of 5 terrible upwind menace arsenic this enactment of storms expands and charges eastbound done the morning.

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By Wednesday day and evening, the wider terrible upwind menace encompasses large cities specified arsenic Chicago, Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio, which are nether a Level 3 retired of 5 menace for terrible storms. While tornadoes are imaginable successful those metro areas, ample hail and damaging upwind gusts are the much apt threats there.

Potential for long-track EF-3 oregon stronger tornadoes successful parts of Midwest, South

The SPC warned Wednesday greeting that the "most aggravated tornadic supercells volition beryllium susceptible of producing long-track EF-3+ tornadoes."

This menace is top from parts of the mid-Mississippi and little Ohio valleys westward into the eastbound Ozarks and is expected to statesman Wednesday day and past until the evening.

"When the Storm Prediction Center slaps a precocious risk, it commands your attention," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin warned. "This is the worst of the worst erstwhile it comes to a forecast setup, and you person to beryllium prepared for these tornadoes that could beryllium connected the crushed for miles and miles connected end."

Many of the aforesaid areas astatine hazard of the worst of the terrible upwind besides face the hazard of life-threatening flash flooding starting Wednesday.