Over 48M people under threat for severe weather; flood risk remains in Midwest: Live updates

Texas will once again be on alert for severe weather Wednesday as storms target the northern portion of the state. Parts of Florida are also at risk of severe storms Wednesday, the Storm Prediction Center said.

While Texas and Florida face the highest threat, more than 48 million people across the southern tier of the U.S. are at risk of severe weather Wednesday, the prediction center said.

“A few tornadoes, along with very large/destructive hail, and severe thunderstorm gusts, are expected over parts of north Texas this afternoon and evening,” the prediction center said. “Very large hail and damaging winds also are expected over parts of central Florida.”

Those storms in Texas and Florida will be part of a severe weather trend from the central U.S. throughout the Southeast, with the chance of storms extending from southeast Colorado to south Florida.

Elsewhere, the Upper Midwest and northern Plains continue to brace for historic river flooding and parts of Yosemite National will close due to flooding.

Here’s what to know about the national weather forecast for Wednesday.

‘Enhanced’ risk of storms in Texas and Florida

More than 12 million people are under an “enhanced” risk for severe weather in Texas and Florida, meaning numerous thunderstorms are possible, according to the weather service. 

An “enhanced” risk area is level 3 of the 5-level severe storm risk scale. 

Wednesday will be the second straight day severe thunderstorms will be possible in central and northern Texas, and the National Weather Service said the conditions could worsen in the afternoon and evening. .

Several storms across Central Texas on Wednesday night produced “very large, destructive hail,” the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said. Several tornado watches and severe thunderstorm warnings were also issued as training supercells moved through the region.