Millions of Americans are facing a significant risk of severe weather this weekend, with high winds and tornadoes expected to impact many states. The National Weather Service has highlighted a dynamic mid-May weather pattern that will bring heavy rain, strong winds, and unusual temperatures across the US until at least next Tuesday. Accuweather has warned that approximately 150 million Americans could be affected by severe weather from Friday to Saturday.

The primary risks identified by the NWS include large hail exceeding 2 inches in diameter, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes. Severe thunderstorm outbreaks are anticipated across the mid-Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio valleys, with the possibility of intense supercells containing rotating updrafts that may lead to large hail and tornadoes during the evening and overnight hours.

Specific warnings have been issued for the lower Ohio valley, highlighting concerns for strong tornadoes, while areas in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri are under tornado watches with expectations of tennis ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 80mph. Additionally, an early-season heat wave is forecasted for south Texas, with temperatures reaching near record-breaking levels, posing a major to extreme heat risk.

These severe weather events coincide with a global climate crisis attributed to human activities such as fossil fuel consumption, as highlighted by leading climate scientists. Despite the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, the Trump administration has rolled back environmental regulations and removed climate change information from federal websites since taking office.