A severe weather outbreak — with multiple reports of tornadoes — continued Wednesday across the South, ahead of what was expected to be a dangerous evening of violent storms for the region.
A tornado caused damage in Abbeville, Alabama, on Wednesday morning, emergency management officials said. Tornado damage was also reported in East Texas Wednesday afternoon, including reports of cars being blown off the road in Cass County, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The National Weather Service issued several tornado warnings throughout the afternoon, especially in southeastern Alabama and southwest Georgia.
The evening forecast includes all types of severe weather, such as tornadoes, hail, high winds and even the possibility of a dip. A tornado watch was in effect for large portions of Alabama and Georgia.
Meanwhile, the heat wave was building for millions of people across Texas, with temperatures expected to rise to nearly 100 degrees in many locations on Wednesday and over the next two days.
Sharp weather fluctuations in the south
The expected outbreak was described as “rare” by Weather.com meteorologist Ari Sarsalari, due to the timing of the system (mid-June) and its location (south). Severe weather outbreaks like this typically occur early in the spring across the region.
Meteorologists said areas from northeast Louisiana to southwest Georgia were most at risk of severe storms throughout Wednesday afternoon and into the evening.
“A long-lasting thunderstorm, strong winds and heavy rain, referred to as a derecho, are possible in the high-risk area through Wednesday night,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. Fast-moving thunderstorm complexes often behave like inland tornadoes and tend to produce damaging winds over an area of hundreds of miles.
“Dangerous” heat in Texas
Summer heat is expected to heat up across the Lone Star State through the end of the week and beyond, with only the Texas Panhandle missing out on triple-digit high temperatures, the National Weather Service said. When combined with oppressive humidity, especially across South Texas and the western Gulf Coast, heat indexes can reach 120 degrees.
The heat index is a measurement that combines temperature and humidity.
“These temperatures can be very dangerous if you spend a lot of time outdoors or in areas without adequate air conditioning,” the weather service warned.
With scorching summer heat sweeping Texas and threatening to strain the state's electrical grid, some energy experts expressed confidence in the grid's ability to handle the increased workload but could not definitively rule out the possibility of a power outage.
In addition to Texas, heat warnings were also in effect for parts of Louisiana and south Florida.
background:Is the Texas power grid ready for summer heat? Here's what experts predict.
Contributing: The American Statesman of Austin; Associated Press
