Kansas City, Missouri – Residents across the Missouri Valley and much of the Midwest may only have hours to prepare Friday as a volatile storm system develops capable of producing tornadoes, giant hail, and destructive winds by late afternoon.
According to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, severe thunderstorms are expected to rapidly intensify Friday afternoon across the central Plains before spreading into Missouri and the Midwest during the evening and overnight hours. The corridor of greatest concern stretches from Oklahoma and Kansas into Missouri and southern Iowa, including Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, Springfield, and Des Moines.
Meteorologists warn the strongest storms could produce hail larger than 2 inches, wind gusts near 75 mph, and strong tornadoes. Storms are expected to develop during the late afternoon in Kansas and Oklahoma, then move east into western and central Missouri during the evening, reaching parts of Iowa and Illinois overnight.
Major highways including Interstate 35, Interstate 70, and Interstate 44 could experience rapidly changing conditions with bursts of large hail, intense wind, and reduced visibility.
Emergency managers urge residents to review tornado safety plans now and ensure multiple ways to receive warnings, especially overnight when storms may be harder to detect.
Severe storms may continue moving east through the overnight hours into the Ozarks and Midwest, with additional watches and warnings likely as the system develops.
