ABC News(NEW YORK) — At least 26 tornadoes have been reported across four states since Monday, as a period of severe weather now enters its fourth straight day.
Sixteen tornadoes have been reported this week in Kansas, four in Oklahoma, five in Nebraska and one in Missouri. There were at least 192 storm reports on Wednesday alone, as parts of Oklahoma saw winds in excess of 100 mph.
Several clusters of intense thunderstorms are moving through the Plains and Midwest, some with winds as high as 70 mph in Arkansas and Missouri amid possible tornadoes Thursday morning. Tornadoes are also possible Thursday morning along the Texas-Oklahoma border.
Flash flood watches have been issued for parts of Illinois and Indiana Thursday morning because of slow-moving thunderstorms.
Severe weather also is expected in northeast Kansas, northern Missouri and southern Iowa, the third straight day for many of these areas. Damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes are possible from Texas all the way up through northern Illinois.
Parts of the Northeast may see some scattered thunderstorms as a corridor develops stretching from eastern Michigan to upstate New York. Damaging winds and large hail are possible in this region later on Thursday.
The entire storm system probably will weaken on Friday, with severe threats more isolated. Friday will probably be the last day of the severe-weather outbreak.
Wednesday was the hottest day in nearly six to seven months across parts of the Northeast. New York City hit 90 degrees for the first time since September. Thursday and Friday will be days with temperatures near 90 degrees for much of the Northeast, with more daily record highs possible.
If some of these cities can pull off three consecutive days of 90 degrees or higher, it will be the first official heat wave for the region in 2018. It would be a notable feat, considering much of the region was well below average temperature for April.
Temperatures are expected to dip near seasonable levels by the weekend.
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