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Severe thunderstorms sweep through U.S. Midwest, with 50 million people impacted

Xinhua, July 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes are ravaging across the U.S. Midwest Monday, affecting nearly 50 million people in the states from Ohio, Wisconsin to Kentucky.

According to the forecast of the country's National Weather Service, damaging winds, heavy rains, large hails and lightning were likely for many parts of the Midwest through the day.

A very moist and unstable air mass is present ahead of the storms along with increasing winds aloft, and the present conditions will intensify the storms into a long-lived and damaging bow echo with the risk of widespread tornadoes.

Tornado sirens sounded in several counties in Wisconsin, while central Illinois has a greatest risk of twisters. The larger threat, however, was from thunderstorms and localized flooding in areas that have already seen heavy rainfall.

A severe thunderstorm watch was in place until 10 a.m. CDT, local time, for southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana, including Chicago and Milwaukee, said the National Weather Service.

More than 47 million people were in areas of "slight risk or worse," facing threat such as damaging winds and lightning weather.

The severe weather was predicted to move southeastwards during Monday and into Tuesday, affecting Kentucky and Tennessee through to the Carolinas and northern Georgia. Endite