Weather today: June 17 forecast as Kansas braces for severe thunderstorms, California issues heat advisory

Weather today: June 17 forecast as Kansas braces for severe thunderstorms, California issues heat advisory

Weather today: Severe thunderstorms blasted the Kansas region on early Tuesday morning, with Wichita reporting a record 101-mph wind gust.

Millions in the central US are bracing for severe weather conditions on Tuesday, June 17, with thunderstorms and torrential rains expected across multiple cities. This comes a day after tornadoes hit parts of Minnesota and Nebraska in the Midwest region. On Tuesday morning, severe thunderstorms blasted Kansas, where Wichita reported a record 101-mph wind gust, according to Fox Weather.

Weather today: Central US to face severe thunderstorms

The National Weather Service has predicted severe thunderstorms that could produce damaging winds, hail, along a few tornadoes in parts of the central Plains as well as the Missouri Valley. 

,

Earlier in the day, a severe thunderstorm watch as well as multiple flood watches and flash flood warnings were issued. The Fox Weather report added that a cold front continues to plow across these regions. 

On its 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has placed parts of western and central Kansas in a Level 4 threat. The affected cities include Wichita, Hutchinson, Garden City, Dodge City and Derby.

Additionally, over two million people have been placed in Level 3 threat from portions of Colorado through west-central Missouri. Affected cities include Topeka and Lawrence in Kansas.

Weather today: New York, California and other regions

In New York, people can expect extreme humidity during the day, with conditions remaining the same until Thursday. Similar humidity levels have been predicted from Sunday through next week.

Temperatures will be on the rise in California as well after several days of pleasant, seasonable weather.

The NWS San Diego, California has issued an updated heat advisory that remains in effect until 8 pm today. This is for the Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills and Orange County Inland, where the temperature could go up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stormy weather is expected in the Chicago area on Tuesday, with temperatures remaining as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated that Tropical Storm Erick formed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean earlier in the day. This remained about 450 miles southeast of Punta Maldonado, Mexico.

This is the fifth named storm of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season this year. It is most likely to become a hurricane on Wednesday. The storm can possibly bring heavy rains as far north as Texas.

FAQs:

1. What is Erick?

It was a tropical storm in the North Pacific Ocean and sustained wind speeds of 40 miles per hour.

2. When did the Hurricane season begin in the Eastern Pacific?

It started around May 15, two weeks before the Atlantic season. Both of them run through November 30.

3. What's the weather forecast for this week?

Severe thunderstorms and torrential rains are expected across the north-central US to the East Coast this week, according to AccuWeather.