Extreme Weather

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Storms

A multi-day outbreak of severe storms that began Monday is expected to continue through the end of the week, stretching from the southern Plains to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Since then, dozens of tornadoes have been reported from Oklahoma and Kansas to southern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Large, damaging hail has also been widespread, with nearly 100 reports across the region. The threat is expected to ease somewhat today, shifting from the Ohio River Valley into parts of New York. But conditions are forecast to ramp back up Friday, with a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe storms in place for more than 10 million people from Oklahoma to Wisconsin.

WATCH: Flooding hits Great Lakes as storms sweep region

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Dire conditions

The worst spring drought on record is gripping the continental US, and it’s fueling wildfire and water shortage concerns as the summer heat approaches. ➕ Sign up for the new CNN Weather newsletter.

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Violent tornado tears through Oklahoma town, damaging 40 homes but sparing lives

ENID, Okla. (AP) — Raeann Hunt scrambled to her cellar as a tornado bore down on her Oklahoma community.

https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-tornado-enid-eb6d1d20f03e8577ea46cf8489ca4c8e?

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The extreme storms now seemed to be coming with regularity, they chased me all over the southeast. Barely made it back home to south Florida...

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Severe storms

A rare high-end tornado threat has been issued for parts of the central US as a severe storm outbreak is expected to peak today. Forecasters warn dangerous conditions across the Plains and Midwest could bring intense tornadoes — including long-track EF3s or stronger — along with destructive hail, damaging winds and torrential rain. Read more.

WATCH: Tornado tears through Nebraska town

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Resilient living

From devastating floods to scorching heat, extreme weather is impacting every corner of the US. Experts say these moves can help protect your home. 🌦️ Sign up for the CNN Weather newsletter.

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Midwest storms

Storms swept through the Midwest on Wednesday, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of customers and causing more than 1,000 flight delays or cancellations at Chicago airports. Local officials warned residents that conditions were expected to intensify and could bring tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and flash flooding. See the latest.   El Nino is here and scientists fear it’ll be big, bad and costly with heat, floods, droughts, fires WASHINGTON (AP) — El Nino, Nature’s chaotic climate agent, has formed in a warmed-up Pacific Ocean and is expected to grow to historic strength, meteorologists announced Thursday. https://apnews.com/article/el-nino-climate-change-flood-drought-damage-7eafacd2bcf04ade9d7f555dfd488178?

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El Nino is here and scientists fear it’ll be big, bad and costly, with heat, floods, droughts, fires Meteorologists announced Thursday the El Nino has formed. It is a warming of the Pacific near the equator that affects weather patterns across the globe, and it’s expected to grow to historic strength. Read more.

Why this matters: Meteorologists forecast it will rival — or exceed — a record El Nino that began in 1997 and helped trigger billions of dollars in damage from heat waves, floods, droughts, tornadoes and wildfires.    Several climate scientists forecast that 2027 will be the hottest year on record because of lagging effects of this El Nino, which is expected to peak in the fall or winter.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help   Here’s how to avoid heat-related illnesses and stay cool this summer   Tornadoes pummel communities outside Chicago, tearing up homes and toppling power poles   Climate change makes once-rare coastal floods more likely, study says   Wildfires are making the US smoggy again, reversing progress on cleaner air, study finds

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Severe storms

A tornado emergency warning issued to millions late Thursday capped a violent day of severe weather across the Midwest. But it was hurricane-force winds that proved deadly: A man in Des Moines, Iowa, was killed by a falling tree, while hundreds of thousands of others were left without power across several states. Read more on today's forecast.

WATCH: Illinois man rescued from beneath home destroyed by tornado

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Southern floods

A prolonged stretch of heavy rain is raising flood concerns across Texas and parts of the Gulf Coast this week, fueled by a system that could become the first tropical storm of the Atlantic season. Flood watches are in effect for nearly 18 million people from central Texas to central Mississippi, and officials are urging residents to monitor conditions closely after flooding in Texas turned deadly on Monday. Read more.

STAY AHEAD: Sign up for the CNN Weather newsletter and download the CNN Weather app.

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Severe weather

Millions across the Midwest are bracing for an outbreak of severe storms today, with strong tornadoes, destructive winds and widespread power outages possible from Missouri through Indiana. Forecasters also expect Tropical Storm Arthur to form along the Gulf Coast within hours, making it the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Read more.

FOLLOW THE FORECAST: Track the storms in the CNN Weather app and sign up for the CNN Weather newsletter.

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Philadelphia area digs out from damage left by a severe series of microburst storms

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Residents in some Philadelphia neighborhoods and surrounding counties were cleaning up Sunday from widespread damage caused by a line of severe, short thunderstorms that passed through.

https://apnews.com/article/flood-damage-philadelphia-weather-d08236ed44fed3eb744cd38562154e00?

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Texas flash floods leave at least 2 dead in region devastated a year ago

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Catastrophic flash floods in Texas have killed two people and forced hundreds of rescues in areas still reeling from devastating floods a year ago, Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday.

https://apnews.com/article/texas-flooding-evacuations-uvalde-camp-mystic-616ad82c32b5728d8a0f894c5e602b24?

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What to know about the predictions for a potentially record-breaking El Nino

Seasonal models are predicting an El Nino climate pattern that could be the strongest on record, bringing with it more extreme weather.

https://apnews.com/article/el-nino-climate-hurricane-heat-drought-rain-d9b3de8acc849198fbb1097fbb0eb4f6?

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Heat dome expands across the central United States, creating dangerous conditions for millions

Temperatures hit sweltering highs across much of the central United States on Saturday as forecasters warned that dangerously hot weather from Dallas to North Dakota would push into next week, with roughly 80 million people facing heat advisories. Read More.

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At least 7 people have died from days of heavy rain and record-setting flooding in Indiana

Days of storms and flooding in Indiana left at least seven people dead as floodwaters receded in Indianapolis’ White River and rains eased in other parts of the state Sunday. Read More.

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Fall Weather Predictions

Nearly all US states are likely to see warmer-than-average temperatures in the coming three months, a new federal forecast reveals. See more here (w/maps). Summerlike weather is most likely to persist in the Pacific Northwest, where below-average rainfall is also expected—potentially fueling the spread of wildfires. Wetter-than-average conditions are forecast for the Southwest and Southeast. On the East Coast, an El Niño fall is expected to suppress hurricane activity, though high-tide flooding is predicted on the West Coast (El Niño 101). Forecasters could not say whether temperatures would be above or below average in the Ohio Valley, encompassing Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Separately, the Old Farmer’s Almanac and the Farmers’ Almanac both released their outlooks yesterday. Research shows only about half of the latter's predictions have historically been borne out. Read how the forecasts differ from federal predictions.   Storms batter Mid-Atlantic and Northeast A line of drenching storms swept across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast late Thursday, triggering destructive tornadoes and significant flooding, including in parts of New York City. As much as 2.5 inches of rain fell in just three hours across northern New Jersey and southern New York, while damage was also reported in parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Such intense downpours can quickly overwhelm urban drainage systems, particularly in New York City, where aging sewers can handle only about 1.75 inches of rain per hour before flash flooding occurs. Forecasts also show the rough stretch of weather isn’t over yet, with more challenging conditions expected across multiple states today. + Read more: Storms sweep the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast + Video: See the aftermath of storms and flooding + Your forecast: Track the storms, find out your local risk and get more detailed timing from meteorologists in the CNN Weather app

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Rare tornadoes hit New York City area amid East Coast storms.

Tornadoes struck southern Queens, Long Island, and Delaware on Thursday night, damaging cabanas and buildings at a Long Island beach club. Two to three inches of rain were also reported across the area, with several reports of people trapped in their cars by flooding. No serious injuries have been reported as of this writing. Tornadoes are rare in the area because the Atlantic Ocean typically limits atmospheric instability. (More, w/video)

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Storms raise flood risks across multiple states

Tropical Depression Edouard dumped more than 20 inches of rain on parts of Texas, and dangerous flooding will persist today as the storm moves north. Downed trees and power lines have been reported across several counties, with tens of thousands of homes and businesses without electricity early today. Meanwhile, another round of storms is hitting the Northeast, raising fresh flooding concerns after weeks of wet weather. Severe weather alerts currently stretch across parts of the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic — including Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Baltimore and Washington, DC.

+ Read more: Southeastern Texas under rare high flood risk, rescues reported as Edouard dumps over 20 inches of rain

+ Video: Car submerged as Edouard creates flood emergency

+ Stay ahead: Get local insights from meteorologists and more in the CNN Weather app

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❄️ Weather traders are betting that a potentially historic El Niño will translate into a relatively mild winter, Bloomberg reports. Gift link.

Super status

An already-strong El Niño has been ramping up at a breakneck pace since it was first declared in June, and the climate phenomenon is crossing into unprecedented territory. Experts explain what that means for the weather.

⛅ Get your local forecast: Download the CNN Weather app

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Prolific storms soak the Southwest

Flooding is seen in the Crownpoint District of New Mexico on Tuesday. (Navajo Police Department)

Unusually potent storms triggered deadly flash floods across the normally arid Southwest this week. The storms dropped more than a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours north of Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon and caused flash flooding that killed three people in New Mexico. Officials also reported inundated roads and stranded vehicles, with multiple drivers rescued in parts of Arizona. Meteorologists say the heavy rain threat will gradually diminish across the rest of the Southwest today, but anticipated downpours across the Midwest and Great Lakes region could trigger flash flooding through the weekend. Today’s threat stretches from Minneapolis and Milwaukee to Des Moines, shifting Saturday toward Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland.

+ Read more: Latest on flash flooding in the Southwest

+ Video: ‘Muddy puddle’ befuddles a Waymo self-driving vehicle after Arizona storm

+ Stay ahead: Get your local forecast from the CNN Weather app

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⛈️ El Niño triggers California statewide emergency

Homes damaged by flooding on Sept. 8 in Dana Point, Calif., south of Los Angeles. Photo: Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency today amid a potentially historic El Niño weather event. Newsom's office says the move "directs state agencies to begin protecting vulnerable communities, prepare roads and critical infrastructure, stage emergency supplies, and help local partners reduce flood, landslide, and coastal risks." 🌊 El Niño — characterized by warmer-than-usual ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific — can drive more potent and more frequent storms and coastal flooding in California. Some coastal California towns have already been dealing with erosion and property damage tied to recent storm activity. Newsom's office noted the climate change link: "A study published in the journal Science last month found El Niño events are now more than 36% stronger than before the industrial era, with this trend accelerating over the last 40 years as the planet warms." Read the announcement.