National Weather Service’s tornado safety guidelines
General guidelines set by the National Weather Service for tornado safety.
A jammed-up weather pattern called an omega block is hanging over the country this week, dumping heavy rain and causing flooding across the Great Plains.
This pattern features a jet stream shaped like the Greek letter omega — Ω — which traps a high-pressure system over the northern Plains, flanked by two low-pressure systems. As the block begins to shift or break down, those low-pressure systems can push stormy weather into Texas.
This stuck system comes on the heels of several rainy days in late April and is expected to linger for a few more days before clearing out by the weekend.
Tornado watch issued for Central Texas until 4 p.m.
As of Tuesday morning, the local National Weather Service offices have issued a tornado watch across a large portion of the state, from Fredericksburg to Houston and Waco to San Antonio until 4 p.m. Earlier in the morning, residents in Gillespie and Blanco counties were advised to take cover in a tornado warning that expired at 8 a.m.
Dallas-Fort Worth, all the way to Abilene, is under severe thunderstorm watch until 10 a.m., although severe storms are possible well into the afternoon.
“Some storms could become severe, with large hail, damaging winds, a couple tornadoes, and flash flooding all possible,” according to the National Weather Service office.
