Waves of rain and thunderstorms are expected over portions of the South this week, with forecasters warning of flash flooding alongside other threats that accompany severe weather, especially across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Here are the key things to know:
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Heavy rain is expected throughout Tuesday and Wednesday.
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With the ground saturated from recent storms, may quickly lead to flooding.
Here’s what forecasters expect:
The Storm Prediction Center has outlined much of central and northern Texas, including the cities of Houston, Dallas and Austin, as well as central and southern Louisiana, as being under a slight risk for severe storms. A more focused area in eastern Texas and the far west of Louisiana is under a slightly higher risk, where there’s the greatest chance of strong tornadoes.
Frank Pereira, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center, said the storms were expected to begin in western Texas on Tuesday morning and gradually spread eastward through the afternoon.
“Across parts of Texas and Oklahoma into Arkansas, Louisiana, later today and into the night,” he said. “We’re expecting the development of both some severe weather and heavy rainfall.”
As the day progresses and temperatures rise, the risk of large hail, bigger than golf balls, damaging winds and a few tornadoes will increase, particularly in central and southeastern Texas and into western Louisiana, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Rainfall leading to significant flash flooding is an added concern, with multiple rounds of storms forecast through Thursday. The Weather Prediction Center has issued its second-highest risk warning for flash flooding across parts of southeast Texas, Louisiana and Southern Mississippi.
Soil in many of these areas is already saturated from recent rains, and forecasters warned that additional precipitation may quickly lead to flooding. Some locations in southeast Texas into southern Louisiana and Southern Mississippi could receive between five to eight inches of rain on Tuesday alone, with some isolated spots possibly exceeding this.
“The next 24 hours is really when we’re expecting the overall heaviest amounts,” said Mr. Pereira. “Things start to diminish a little as we get into Wednesday, but there’s still potential for more additions of heavy rain along the Gulf Coast.”
The system’s cold front is expected to stall along the Gulf Coast on Wednesday, leading to additional rainfall of five inches or more across already affected areas. Thunderstorms continue into Thursday, with localized rainfall rates of more than two inches per hour possible in some places.
By the end of the week, conditions are expected to improve.
“During the weekend, it looks pretty dry across much of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and that whole area,” Mr. Pereira said.
Nazaneen Ghaffar is a Times reporter on the Weather team.
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