Tornado warning issued for parts of Oklahoma amid severe storms, as heat scorches South Texas

Severe storms continued to affect parts of Oklahoma on Saturday, with the threat of possible tornadoes persisting into the night. Meanwhile, parts of South Texas broke heat records, and residents were warned of triple-digit temperatures over the long holiday weekend.

Although Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, the season does not officially begin for another four weeks.

The National Weather Service’s office in Norman, Oklahoma, likened Saturday’s conditions to “a gasoline-soaked brush pile.” Forecasters warned that any storms forming could result in large hail, dangerous winds, and tornadoes.

“There’s a small chance most of the matches are duds and we only see a few storms today. Still, that’s not a match I would want to play with. It only takes one storm to be impactful,” the office stated on Facebook.

In South Texas, excessive heat is the main concern. The heat index was predicted to approach 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) in some areas over the weekend. Although actual temperatures will be slightly lower, they will still be in the triple digits, with humidity making it feel much hotter.

The region is experiencing the northern edge of a heat dome extending from Mexico to South America, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Zack Taylor.

Taylor noted that Sunday is expected to be the hottest day, with record high temperatures for late May forecasted for Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, and San Antonio.

On Saturday, Brownsville and Harlingen near the Texas-Mexico border already set new records for May 25, reaching 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) and 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), respectively.

Red Flag fire warnings were issued for West Texas, all of New Mexico, and parts of Oklahoma, Arizona, and Colorado, due to low humidity (under 10%) and wind gusts up to 60 mph (97 kph).

“We’ve got very dry air, warm temperatures and strong winds creating a high fire danger over a wide area … that can lead to rapidly spreading or uncontrollable fires,” Taylor said.

In contrast, several inches of snow fell from Friday into early Saturday in Rolla, North Dakota, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Canadian border.

April and May have been particularly active months for tornadoes, especially in the Midwest. Climate change is exacerbating the severity of storms globally.

April saw the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the United States. So far in 2024, the country is already 25% ahead of the average number of tornadoes, according to the Storm Prediction Center in Norman.

Iowa was hit hard this week by a deadly tornado that devastated Greenfield. Other storms caused flooding and wind damage across the state.

The storm system responsible for the severe weather is expected to move east over the Memorial Day weekend, bringing rain that could delay the Indianapolis 500 auto race in Indiana on Sunday and more severe storms in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky.

Forecasters predicted that the risk of severe weather would shift to North Carolina and Virginia by Monday.