Floods to follow freeze in Midwest USA by Matt Taylor
Rain, hail and high winds hit the Midwest on Saturday, helping to thaw ice and snow after days of freezing conditions.
The storm swept across the Midwest on Saturday, knocking out power, damaging buildings and bringing down trees. 3 to 8cm (1 to 3 inches) of rain fell over the Midwest during the last 24 hours. This heavy rain combined with melting snow could cause damaging floods.
The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. In some Chicago suburbs residents were evacuated to high ground due to the prospect of widespread flooding.
In sharp contrast to the recent cold snap, record-breaking high temperatures have been recorded in many states, including Kansas and Illinois. In addition to the flood risk, this warm air fuelled the formation of funnel clouds, prompting tornado watches to be issued across the Midwest and central plains.
This extreme weather was caused by milder air pushing up from the southwest and colliding with cold air from the north. These storms are the atmosphere’s way of redistributing heat more evenly.
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