Powerful monsoon thunderstorms spark fears of flooding, threats of wildfire ignitions in West

Monsoon season is successful afloat swing, with areas of the Southwest seeing torrential rainfall and flooding, arsenic good arsenic a towering haboob that plunged cities successful Arizona, similar Phoenix, into darkness.

And now, arsenic abundant moisture continues to surge crossed the occidental and cardinal U.S., concerns are increasing that much areas could spot flooding, arsenic good arsenic the imaginable for wildfire ignitions successful the West.

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This animated representation shows a particulate storm, known arsenic a haboob, sweeping crossed Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport connected Monday, Aug. 25, 2025.

(FOX 10 Phoenix / FOX Weather)

The FOX Forecast Center said that much than a twelve states crossed the West and cardinal U.S. are nether immoderate benignant of flash flood menace this week.

By Thursday, Southern California and Arizona volition get a impermanent blast of other moisture, but not from the monsoon – it’s from what’s near from Tropical Storm Juliette swirling successful the Eastern Pacific.

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The rainfall volition beryllium beneficial for galore large cities crossed the West. In fact, the FOX Forecast Center says much than 25 cities successful the Southwest are seeing 1 of their top-five driest years connected record.

The full authorities of Arizona, for example, is nether immoderate benignant of drought. And thunderstorms that slammed the portion earlier this week haven’t done overmuch to bring relief.

Phoenix saw its second-wettest time of 2025 connected Monday, but it’s inactive experiencing its 10th-driest commencement to immoderate year.

Tucson, Arizona, is experiencing its third-driest year-to-date.

Both cities' records day backmost to 1895.

Farther eastbound successful the Plains and Rockies, higher rainfall totals are apt arsenic the workweek continues, with wide rainfall totals of 3-5 inches, with locally higher amounts possible.

That country has already seen plentifulness of rainfall truthful acold this year. And with soils already saturated, training thunderstorms could importantly heighten the flash flood risk.

NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) placed portions of the Rockies and Plains successful a Level 2 retired of 4 flash flood hazard connected Wednesday, portion Idaho successful the Northwest is besides nether a Level 2 retired of 4 threat.

And successful summation to the flood potential, concerns are increasing that storms could ignite wildfires.

According to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC), thunderstorms that occurrence up successful the portion could nutrient cloud-to-ground lightning, and that could origin trouble.

The SPC said the storms airs a hazard of lightning-induced wildfire ignitions and beardown winds crossed portions of Washington authorities and into the Idaho Panhandle and acold northwestern Montana, fixed adust fuels crossed the region.

Farther south, a premix of bedewed and dry thunderstorms are expected successful portions of Oregon and Northern California, wherever immoderate wildfires are already raging.