This is Severe Weather Awareness Week, and National Weather Service meteorologist Peter Rogers says it is important to know what is happening when a thunderstorm warning is issued.
Rogers says there are a couple of factors that go into those warnings. “Hail that is the size of a quarter or larger, which is about the diameter of a quarter. And wind gusts that are at 58 miles an hour or higher,” he says. He says the speed of the wind is key. “That’s generally when you start to see branches about the size of your wrist starting to break off. And obviously, the stronger the wind, the more potential damage and destruction you can see,” Rogers says. “On the hail side, an inch in diameter, that is when you start to see potential impacts to roofing material or your vehicle being dented. Those are king of those baselines when we start to issue thunderstorm warnings.”
Rogers says straight line winds, including derechos, have become more common in the Midwest. “In our eyes at the Weather Service, whether the wind is spinning or moving in a straight line, if it is strong enough to start breaking things, we want people to be paying attention, ” he says. And take the same proactive action, again with regards to whether it is a tornado or not.” Rogers says its important to heed the warnings for thunderstorms and be prepared to react.
(By Patrick Hazelett, KICD, Spencer)