Over 300 severe storm reports across US as dangerous weather continues

(NEW YORK) — There were more than 300 severe storm reports in the United States on Monday, mostly along the East Coast from New Hampshire to South Carolina, as threatening weather and dangerous heat plagues the nation.

Gusty winds of 60 to 66 miles per hour were reported from New York to North Carolina, with golf ball-sized hail damaging cars in the latter.

Some areas in New Jersey received close to half a foot of rain, which flooded roadways. There were even tornado warnings in the Garden State but, as of Tuesday morning, no actual twisters reported.

More thunderstorms are in the forecast for Tuesday, with lightning, flooding rain and gusty winds expected from North Carolina all the way up to New England. The areas along Interstate 95 will begin seeing storms develop after 3 p.m. ET that will last into the night.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch from Delaware to Maine, where local rainfall amounts of 4 inches are possible.

Another severe weather system moving eastward across the country will hit the central Plains and parts of the South on Tuesday, from South Dakota to Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Damaging winds and huge hail will likely be the biggest threat there, though a few tornadoes can’t be ruled out. Monday’s storms spawned seven reported tornadoes in Wyoming and Nebraska.

Meanwhile, a heat wave continues in the South and is expected to expand over the coming days, moving into southern parts of the Midwest and the Mid-South, including Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee as well as parts of southern Illinois and Indiana. The hottest days will be Tuesday through Thursday, with temperatures forecast to feel like nearly 120 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas across the southern half of the country.

As of Tuesday morning, 13 states were under a heat alert from Arizona up to southern Illinois and down to northern Florida. Major cities such as Houston, Austin, New Orleans and even Orlando could see record high temperatures on Tuesday.

A record high of 111 degrees Fahrenheit was reported in Del Rio, Texas, on Monday for the ninth consecutive day. Another record high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit was reported in San Angelo, Texas.

The extreme heat will continue into the weekend for parts of Texas and the Deep South.