5 Tornado Watches in Effect

Tornado Watch until 5am.

Tornado Watch until 4am.

Tornado watch till 3am. 

Also, a new tornado watch (third of the day) has been issued for parts of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. 

3:30pm:  The area depicted on this map has a rapidly increasing risk of tornadoes during the night 60  to 90 minutes.

A rare "particularly dangerous situation tornado watch" is now in effect for parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. This includes Wichita, Oklahoma City and Wichita Falls. Take this seriously!

This watch has expired. 

At 11:44pm, thunderstorms are developing from Gove KS to Cambridge NE. They will intensify. 

--------

I can't emphasize how much I hate days like this. Violent tornadoes are likely which means that if people are not in shelter and they are hit, serious injuries will result. In 14-days, it will be eleven years since the last EF-5 tornado -- the longest interval ever. Unfortunately, it is possible that record will be broken today.

The above is not to frighten you, it is to motivate you to make sure you are ready to take shelter if a tornado warning is issued. If you live in a mobile home and don't have a community shelter, make plans now to get to shelter when the tornado watch is issued. Don't wait for a tornado warning as these may be relatively fast-moving storms. You can find a list and map of community shelters, here. 

2pm This Afternoon to 6am Tuesday

Color code:

• There is an extreme risk of violent tornadoes in the purple, hatched area.
• There is a high risk of tornadoes, some strong, in the red area. 
• The hatched yellow is an enhanced risk of tornadoes, some strong.
• The yellow areas has an enhanced risk of tornadoes.
• And, the brown area has a significant risk of tornadoes. 

I fear this will be a dangerous day and night. 

Damaging Wind Forecast from 4pm to 6am Tuesday

This forecast was updated at 3pm.  Color code:

• The red area has a high risk of wind gusts of 60 mph or stronger; the hatched area has a high risk of wind gusts of 75 mph or stronger from thunderstorm-generated winds. 
• The yellow area has a significant risk of 60 mph or stronger winds. 

Note: power outages are likely in the highest risk area.

Large Hail Forecast Starting at 1pm until 2am CDT

Color code:

• The hatched area has a risk of hail 2-4" in diameter.
• The purple has an extreme risk.
• The red has a high risk.
• The yellow has a significant risk. Where unhatched, the rick is for hail 1-2" in diameter. 

This is a situation where I recommend calling your friends and relatives in the highest risk area to make sure they are going to be following the weather.  I invite you to pass along this blog's URL ( www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com ) and my Twitter handle where I post real-time updates, which is @usweatherexpert.

Needless to say, I recommend the following:

• At least three independent ways of receiving warnings. Make sure your phone and laptop are fully charged, but take them off of the charger the first time you hear thunder (in order to prevent power-surge damage).
• I sleep better at night with StormWarn. It calls you 24/hr. day but, unlike other systems, it calls only if you are in the path of a tornado or wind gust of 80 mph or stronger. Me? I don't want calls or a weather radio going off at 3am for 1" hail.
• Power outages are likely in the areas where 75+ mph winds are forecast. Prepare accordingly.
• Make sure your tornado sheltering area is ready to go: bottles of water, diapers, shoes (if the worst happens, you don't want to be walking on metal shards and broken glass) and -- if you have them and wish to do so -- hard hats like a football helmet, baseball batter's helmet, et cetera. 
• Put your lawn furniture and other items that can blow around indoors.

The tornadoes I am forecasting will be at least this strong!

Remember: