Bizarre Storm Derecho Brings Hurricane-Force Winds Across US
NDTV
A severe storm risk, one of the highest in recent times, has been issued for western Oklahoma and Texas.
A rare storm phenomenon has brought blizzard warning to several states in the US. Called derecho, it is expected to cause significant damaging wind event across the central US, as per the National Weather Service. CNN said that the derecho will cause wind speeds of 80 to 110 mph (128-177 kmph) equivalent to a Category 2 Atlantic hurricane. The weather service said that a derecho is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Wind gusts with the #derecho so far:114 mph – Memphis, Tx.81 mph – Sublette, Ks.80 mph – Bridgeport, Ok.79 mph – Clarendon, Tx.78 mph – Hayne, Ks.78 mph – Erick, Ok.77 mph – Guthrie, Ok.77 mph – Kiowa, Ok.77 mph – Clinton, Ok.75 mph – Gould, Ok.Track w/@MyRadarwx. pic.twitter.com/Lp633k8rD5
"Embedded tornadoes are anticipated as well, with the greatest potential for strong (EF2-EF3) tornadoes across southwest Oklahoma this evening," the Storm Prediction Centre said on its website.
A severe storm risk, one of the highest in recent times, has been issued for western Oklahoma and Texas. Cities under this risk include Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton, and Enid in Oklahoma.
CNN said this is the first Level 4 out of 5 risk issued so far. Such a high risk alert was last issued on December 14 last year, when a tornado touched down in New Orleans.
