Travelinglifestyle

A confirmed tornadic thunderstorm tracked through central Iowa Monday evening, prompting a Tornado Warning for Story, Hardin and Hamilton counties as it moved southeast at 30 mph, part of a broader outbreak that put nearly 50 Iowa counties under a Tornado Watch until 10 PM.

Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for Gulf of America waters off Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle beginning early Tuesday morning, with the National Weather Service warning that southwest winds gusting as high as 55 mph and seas building to 16 feet could capsize or damage vessels through Wednesday afternoon.

Canadian wildfire smoke that hit the Great Lakes region Wednesday has intensified and expanded southward Thursday, with Michigan’s EGLE declaring a Hazardous air quality level statewide — the most severe AQI category — and alerts spreading into northern Indiana and all of Ohio as the smoke plume continues drifting southeast.

The wildfire smoke blanketing the Northeast entered its second consecutive day Thursday, with Air Quality Alerts remaining in effect through tonight or Friday across New York City, all of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont — as Canadian wildfire smoke continues settling over southern New England and the Mid-Hudson corridor.

Red Flag Warnings are active across Washington State from the Olympic Mountains to the Palouse on Thursday, as a wave of dry lightning and thunderstorm outflow winds creates prime conditions for new wildfire ignitions across a state whose fire resources are already stretched heading into peak summer fire season.