CHICAGO — Severe thunderstorms that swept across parts of the central United States were expected to shift east on Friday, while forecasters warned that a strengthening heat dome would bring dangerous and potentially record-breaking temperatures to the Plains and much of the country over the coming days.
The National Weather Service said strong to severe thunderstorms were forecast to extend from parts of the southern and central High Plains into the Ozarks and the mid-Mississippi Valley, with damaging wind gusts and large hail posing the primary hazards. Some areas also faced a risk of heavy rainfall that could trigger localized flash flooding.
The Storm Prediction Center maintained a slight risk of severe thunderstorms across portions of the southern and central High Plains and into the Ozarks on Friday, as a frontal boundary pushed eastward. Forecasters said isolated severe storms could develop during the afternoon and evening before weakening overnight.
Behind the storm system, meteorologists warned that a broad ridge of high pressure would expand across the western and central United States, producing prolonged extreme heat across the Plains before spreading farther east.
The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center said the pattern was expected to support a widespread period of extreme heat across much of the western, central and southeastern United States, with the Northern Plains among the areas facing the greatest risk. The agency warned that high daytime temperatures combined with unusually warm overnight conditions would increase the risk of heat-related illness, particularly for vulnerable populations and people without adequate cooling.
The Weather Prediction Center also highlighted an expanding mid-July heat event, urging residents to monitor local forecasts and heat risk information as temperatures climbed well above seasonal averages.
Meteorologists said temperatures in parts of the Northern Plains and interior West could rise into the triple digits over the weekend, with many locations expected to challenge daily records. The heat was forecast to spread across much of the continental United States next week, with nighttime temperatures remaining unusually high in many areas, limiting relief after sunset.
Officials continued to advise residents to stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day, check on elderly neighbors and others at higher risk, and closely follow weather alerts issued by local National Weather Service offices.
Forecasters said the severe weather threat would gradually shift east through the weekend while dangerous heat intensified across the Plains and expanded into additional regions early next week.
