WASHINGTON – Over 120 million Americans from New England to the Southeast are at risk for a turbulent afternoon and evening as powerful thunderstorms develop and race across the eastern U.S. with the risk of destructive wind gusts, large hail and even some tornadoes on Monday.
The FOX Forecast Center says a cold front is pushing east from the Ohio Valley. As instability forms along the front, it creates an environment ripe for severe thunderstorms.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has highlighted an expansive area in the East where most of the stronger thunderstorms are expected to develop.
Nearly 50 million people from the Philadelphia area south through Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta in a level 3 out of 5 on the SPC’s thunderstorm risk scale.
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“We do have a tornado risk,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “This is going to be for this afternoon and this evening across parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, all the way up into portions of Pennsylvania.”
Major cities across the eastern U.S. will be at risk of seeing tornadoes, including Syracuse, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and stretching as far south as Knoxville and Chattanooga in Tennessee.
“It’s a lower risk,” Merwin continued. “We’re talking a one out of five. But you never want to take that for granted. You really want to make sure that you take that threat seriously.”
Millions of people are also at risk of seeing large hail across the same regions on Monday, but the FOX Forecast Center says there’s another threat – damaging wind gusts.
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Damaging wind gusts are expected within severe thunderstorms that develop during the day on Monday. However, forecasters have highlighted an area in the mid-Atlantic, including the Baltimore and Washington areas, with a significantly higher risk.
This threat includes millions of people from Harrisburg in Pennsylvania south through Hagerstown and Baltimore in Maryland, Washington, and Hartwood and Charlottesville in Virginia.
“This is one to really focus on because of the significance,” Merwin said. “This is the strongest warning when it comes to straight-line winds that DC has had in 5 years.”
Winds could gust higher than 75 mph on Monday, which is as strong as a Category 1 hurricane.
“When you have a 75 mph wind gust, we’re talking about significant tree damage and power outages,” Merwin continued. “You gotta be ready for this afternoon and this evening.”
Anyone living or working in areas at risk of seeing severe weather on Monday is urged to download the free FOX Weather app and enable notifications to ensure you’re alerted to any severe weather that may be approaching your area.