April will begin with intense weather across the Midwestern and Southern US as warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico fuels severe thunderstorms.
On Monday, storms will span from Texas to the Great Lakes, impacting Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois most heavily. By Tuesday, the storms will shift eastward, affecting Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio.
These storms will bring heavy rain, hail, and dangerous wind gusts, with a risk of tornadoes as April ushers in the peak tornado season in the US, typically running from April to June.
Night-time tornadoes, which are more lethal than daytime ones, could pose additional dangers as storms persist into Monday night and Tuesday.
Following these storms, a rain system will form over the Great Lakes on Wednesday and move northeast by Thursday.
Colder air from Canada may turn some of this rain into snow, particularly affecting New England, which is still recovering from a major winter storm that hit between March 23 and 24.
This storm dumped 8 to 12 inches of snow in many areas, with Vermont seeing up to 30 inches. It caused significant power outages, road accidents, and tree damage.
In Western Europe, Storm Nelson has recently battered the southern UK, Ireland, France, and the Iberian Peninsula. The strongest winds occurred on Thursday, reaching nearly 90 mph along Brittany’s coast.
The Bay of Biscay saw waves up to 10 meters high, leading to two fatalities in northern Spain from falling or being swept into the sea.
Additionally, two deaths occurred in Catalonia due to strong waves. Although winds subsided after Thursday, Nelson’s heavy rain continued to affect France and Spain, with Andalucía receiving over 80 mm of rain on Saturday.