Sheldon, Iowa — This is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa. Each day this week, the National Weather Service is focusing on a different severe weather topic.
Today’s topic is severe thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms are a common occurrence each spring and summer across the Midwest. Thunderstorms can be extremely dangerous. They may bring deadly tornadoes and lightning, damaging high winds and hail and can lead to flash flooding.
Warning Coordination Meteorologist Peter Rogers with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls tells us the two criteria for a “severe thunderstorm” as the weather service defines it.
He says since “thunder” is the sound of lightning, every thunderstorm can be dangerous, just due to the lightning alone.
Rogers reminds us that when the weather service issues a “watch,” that’s your cue to be on the lookout for possible severe weather. He says, however, that when they issue a “warning,” it means that the severe weather is already occurring, or will occur soon — and is your advisory to take cover now.
We’ll have more about severe weather all week, here on KIWA and at kiwaradio.com.
