logo
Live: Tornado warning issued for OKC, large hail possible as severe storms cross Oklahoma

Live: Tornado warning issued for OKC, large hail possible as severe storms cross Oklahoma

Yahoo2 days ago

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Norman at 3:19 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3. This warning applies to Logan and Oklahoma counties.
Meteorologists warn of winds as strong as 60 mph. Use caution, officials warn of hail as large as 1 inch.
Check here for live weather updates and to see active weather alerts, power outages and radar in real time.
➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for parts of Oklahoma that include Interstate 35 south of Perry, Oklahoma, heading north of Stillwater.
A tornado warning means someone saw a tornado or one was indicated by weather radar. Under a tornado warning, there's imminent danger to life and property. Everyone should move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows.
-Cheyenne Derksen
A tornado warning has been issued for an area spanning the OKC metro. The National Weather Service advises residents to take shelter now.
A tornado warning means someone saw a tornado or one was indicated by weather radar. Under a tornado warning, there's imminent danger to life and property. Everyone should move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows.
-Cheyenne Derksen
A tornado warning has been issued for parts of southeast Oklahoma County and north-central Cleveland County. The area includes Midwest City, Tinker Air Force Base, Choctaw and Harrah.
The National Weather Service advises residents to take shelter now. The warning is in place until 5:30 p.m.
-Cheyenne Derksen
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning across portions of Oklahoma City, Midwest City and Choctaw.
The NWS warns that large hail up to ping pong size and damaging winds up to 70 mph are possible as the storm moves northeast at 25 mph.
-Cheyenne Derksen
Be prepared — tornadoes are possible in and around the area mentioned in the watch. Be ready to act quickly.
NWS:How to prepare for a tornado
Take action now. A warning means someone saw a tornado or one was indicated by weather radar. Under a tornado warning, there's imminent danger to life and property. Everyone should move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows.
Keep up with school, church and event closings using the link below.
Oklahoma City Severe Weather Closings: Schools, churches, other services
Tweets by NWS Norman
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Live: Tornado warning issued, hail expected as storms cross Oklahoma

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mapped: Canada's wildfires are impacting air quality in these US communities
Mapped: Canada's wildfires are impacting air quality in these US communities

Yahoo

time30 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Mapped: Canada's wildfires are impacting air quality in these US communities

Smoke from wildfires still raging in Canada is degrading air quality across the northern U.S., turning skies a murky orange hue and forcing sensitive groups indoors. In New York, the smoke could be seen in the upper atmosphere from satellites, and an air quality alert was in effect until 11 p.m. Thursday evening. Poor air quality was also in store for Chicagoans, who were told to reduce time spent outdoors. Government maps showed the worst levels of particle pollution around the Windy City and Detroit, with the latter under an advisory through noon on Friday. In Chicago, one area saw an Air Quality Index at a level of 157, which is deemed 'unhealthy.' The particle pollution can affect the eyes, throat, lungs, and heart. Sometimes, it can even lead to premature death. 'It's probably a good idea to limit time outside,' Kevin Doom, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. 'Doing a lot of heavy breathing is probably not ideal on a day like today.' Forecasters said there's a chance an alert there would be extended into Friday, as temperatures across much of the eastern U.S. continue to spike ahead of a rainy weekend. Some of the haze also has to do with ozone pollution, which is linked to that heat. 'On hot and sunny days, especially in urban areas, heat and sunlight react chemically with pollutants in the air to form ground-level ozone, which can be very irritating to people with respiratory problems,' WNBC's Lauren Maroney warned. In the U.S., wildfires have burned in Minnesota, Florida, and the West. There have been more than 1.1 million acres torched to date across the country, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. There are more than 200 active wildfires raging in Canada, and more than 6.4 million acres have burned since the start of the year. Two new blazes were reported on Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The deadly fires have resulted in the deaths of two people and forced tens of thousands of people to flee. Officials in Mantiboa and Saskatchewan have declared a state of emergency. Manitoba skies have turned a ruby red color. "I've never seen anything like it," Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said, according to CBC News. Climate change is helping to stoke the flames of wildfires around the world each year, bringing even hotter and drier conditions. As smoke continues to impact millions in the northern U.S., it is heading South. AccuWeather said it might collide with a 2,000-mile-wide plume of Saharan dust later this week. 'This appears to be the largest Saharan dust plume to reach America so far this year,' Lead Hurricane Expert Alex Dasilva said in a statement.

New Hires Will Still Leave the NWS Dangerously Understaffed, Meteorologists Say
New Hires Will Still Leave the NWS Dangerously Understaffed, Meteorologists Say

Scientific American

timean hour ago

  • Scientific American

New Hires Will Still Leave the NWS Dangerously Understaffed, Meteorologists Say

CLIMATEWIRE | New hiring efforts at the National Weather Service won't be enough to overcome staffing shortages and potential risks to human lives this summer, meteorologists warned Wednesday at a panel hosted by Democratic Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell. NOAA will hire around 125 new employees at the NWS, the agency said in an announcement first reported Monday by CNN. But nearly 600 employees have departed the NWS over the last few months, after the Trump administration fired probationary federal employees and offered buyouts and early retirements. That means the new hires will account for less than 25 percent of the total losses. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. 'A quarter of the staff are not going to do the job when, let's just say, both hurricane and fire risks are increasing,' Cantwell said during Wednesday's panel. '[The Trump administration's] approach in response to this has been a flimsy Band-Aid over a very massive cut.' Cantwell added that the National Hurricane Center is not fully staffed, as NOAA officials suggested last month when announcing their predictions for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season outlook. The NHC has at least five vacancies, she said, representing meteorologists and technicians who help build forecasts for tropical cyclones in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Meanwhile, NOAA is predicting above-average activity in the Atlantic this hurricane season. Updated fire maps also suggest that nearly all of Cantwell's home state of Washington, along with Oregon and large swaths of California, will experience an above-average risk of wildfires by August. Kim Doster, NOAA's director of communications, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on NOAA's staffing shortages or the NHC's vacancies. Three meteorologists speaking on the panel echoed Cantwell's concerns, suggesting that staffing shortages at weather offices across the country risk forecasting errors and breakdowns in communication between meteorologists and emergency managers. At least eight local weather offices across the country are currently so short-staffed that they can no longer cover their overnight shifts, said Brian LaMarre, a former meteorologist-in-charge at the NWS office in Tampa Bay, Florida. Some of these offices may have to rely on 'mutual aid,' or borrowed staff, from other NWS locations to cover their shifts during extreme weather events. But Cantwell and other panelists expressed concern that staff-sharing across the NWS could erode the accuracy of forecasts and warnings for local communities. Cantwell pointed to the meteorologists that specialize in fire weather forecasts. NOAA typically deploys those experts to provide forecasts and recommendations to firefighters on the ground when wildfires strike. 'If you think you're gonna substitute somebody that's gonna be somewhere else — I don't know where, some other part of the state or some other state — and you think you're gonna give them accurate weather information? It just doesn't work that way,' she said. Washington state-based broadcast meteorologist Jeff Renner echoed her concerns. 'The meteorologists that respond to [wildfires] have very specific training and very specific experience that can't be easily duplicated, particularly from those outside the area,' he said. Meanwhile, LaMarre's former position in Tampa is vacant, and around 30 other offices across the country are also operating without a permanent meteorologist-in-charge. 'That person is the main point of contact when it comes to briefing elected officials, emergency management directors, state governors, city mayors, parish officials,' LaMarre said. 'They are the individual that's gonna be implementing any new change that is needed for hurricane season, blizzards, wildfires, inland flooding.' The NWS suffered from staffing shortages prior to the Trump administration. But LaMarre said he never saw such widespread vacancies, including offices unable to operate overnight, in his 30 years at the agency. He emphasized that NWS meteorologists will do whatever it takes to ensure accurate forecasts when extreme weather strikes. But too many gaps at local offices mean that some services will inevitably suffer, LaMarre added. 'Whenever you look at an office that is short-staffed, that means a piece of that larger puzzle is taken away,' he said. 'That means some outreach might not be able to occur. Some trainings might not be able to occur. Some briefings to officials might not be able to occur.'

Heat wave expected in Central Texas this weekend with feels-like temps of 108 degrees
Heat wave expected in Central Texas this weekend with feels-like temps of 108 degrees

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Heat wave expected in Central Texas this weekend with feels-like temps of 108 degrees

As the weekend approaches, a wave of extreme heat is building across Central Texas and South Texas, with temperatures expected to peak Saturday through Monday. Recent rainfall and evapotranspiration — the process by which water evaporates from the soil and plants — will keep moisture levels high, further boosting heat index readings. According to the National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio, many locations will see high temperatures ranging from the mid-90s to just over 100 degrees — and the heat index could make it feel even hotter. Cities like San Antonio, Del Rio and Eagle Pass are forecast to hit 100 or 101 degrees, while others such as Austin, Cuero, and New Braunfels will hover just below triple digits. But the real story lies in the heat index — a measure of how hot it feels when humidity is factored in. By Sunday and Monday, heat index values are expected to reach near 110 degrees in several cities. More: Texas heat cramping your outdoor walking routine? Try these shady strolls for hot days. The temperature is the actual air reading — what a thermometer records in the shade. The heat index, on the other hand, represents what it feels like to the human body when both temperature and humidity are factored in, according to the National Weather Service. That's why the heat index is often higher than the air temperature, and why it's used to gauge the risk of heat-related illness. Prolonged exposure to heat index above 80 degrees can lead to fatigue, and as it gets hotter, the risk continues to increase - potentially resulting in heat stroke or even death. Older adults, children, and outdoor workers are generally at higher risk of heat-related incidents. More: Is Texas getting hotter? These 8 cities are getting up to 26 more dangerously hot days See how high the heat index will get in your area. Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the United States, claiming more lives each year than hurricanes, floods or tornadoes. Experts urge Texans to take precautions: stay hydrated, avoid outdoor activity during peak afternoon hours, wear light clothing and check on vulnerable neighbors, including the elderly and those without air conditioning, throughout these next couple of weeks and into the summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are multiple types of heat-related illnesses. Heat cramps and heat rash can be treated by staying indoors and getting hydrated. But some others are more serious. Heat exhaustion is a mild heat-related illness that occurs in hot temperatures, especially when you're not drinking enough water or other non-alcoholic fluids. People most at risk for heat exhaustion are the elderly, those with high blood pressure, and individuals working or exercising in the heat. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include: Excessive thirst Profuse sweating Headache Dizziness or confusion Nausea If you or anyone you're with experiences these symptoms, move to a shaded or air-conditioned area, use a fan, or immerse in cool water. Also, drink cool, non-alcoholic beverages like water or sports drinks with electrolytes. Heat exhaustion can escalate into heat stroke, a serious, life-threatening condition. Heat stroke occurs when the body's temperature rises rapidly, and it can no longer cool itself down. Early symptoms of heat stroke are similar to heat exhaustion but progress to more severe signs, including: Lack of sweating Body temperature rising to 106°F or higher within 10-15 minutes (even without a thermometer, the skin will feel very hot) Loss of consciousness Heat stroke is a medical emergency. If you suspect someone is experiencing it, seek immediate medical attention. Without emergency treatment, heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Extreme heat to hit Central Texas with feels-like temps of 108 degrees

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store