Torrential rains have occurred since 4:30pm over parts of Harvey and far north Sedgwick Counties in Kansas. The reds equal 5 to about 6 inches. The grays within the white areas (inside the reds) are up to 7" of rain. And, as the image below indicates, heavy rain continues to fall over the area. Radar continues to show very heavy rains falling over the area as of 7:35pm. I expect US 50 between Newton and Hutchinson to become impassible (if it is not already) and I expect a flood to rapidly develop on the Little Arkansas River. If your family and friends in this area don't know about this, please let them know.  Do not allow children to play in floodwaters. Do not drive into flooded areas. Turn around, don't drown. If you live along the Little Arkansas, be prepared to move to higher ground at the first sign of rising water, even during the night.  This is more serious flash flood situation than we usually get in central Kansas. 

If you are planning outdoor activities for Father's Day, here is AccuWeather's forecast. Full details are here .

Harvest conditions are generally good today in Kansas and northern Oklahoma.  In northern Oklahoma, the harvest should be wrapping up in the next few days. This is the reverse of normal conditions because the torrential rains this past weekend stalled the harvest in southern Oklahoma. The combines should be back in the fields now. In Kansas, conditions were very good for harvesting yesterday and it should be in full swing in central Kansas. Western Kansas was too wet in many areas yesterday but should be starting to dry out today. 

One small area of 5% tornado risk today. Please keep an eye on the weather in this area.

Tornado watch in effect until 10pm. It does include the Twin Cities. At least two tornadoes have already touched down. Threat Farther South I believe there is a threat later this afternoon of a severe thunderstorm or two in the circled area with large hail and/or damaging thunderstorm winds. This is just a possibility but keep an eye on the weather if thunderstorms approach.

Forecaster Evie, our pig-tailed prognosticator, says serious (as in medically serious) heat is on the way and we need to be aware of it. Here is a forecast heat index map for 4pm Monday. Via AccuWeather, click to enlarge Here is the forecast heat index map for 4pm Tuesday. Heat indices below 80°F are not shown. Symbols in background indicate wind speed and direction. Unfortunately, I don't think the heat index forecast, especially in the High Plains, is high enough. The forecast model does not "realize" the unusually heavy rains over that area since Saturday. 7-Day Rainfall Map These rains were heavy enough that the sub- and even topsoil will still be damp when these extreme temperatures begin. So, Evie and I recommend adding 5-7° to the heat index temperatures to the High Plains values and 3-4° elsewhere to get the maximum values for each day. I often believe there are too many heat advisories in summer (that's why it is called "summer"...

After yesterday, with tornadoes from Texas to South Dakota, things shift east today. The 5% area (brown) is the significant tornado risk area today. Much of the 2% tornado risk area (green) has a risk of large hail. And, tomorrow, still farther east, the highest risk is damaging thunderstorm winds throughout the Midwest. The tornado risk tomorrow is in Montana.