More than 1,700 domestic flights were canceled and more than 8,000 experienced delays Monday due to weather conditions, according to the FlightAware website. Rain, wind, and hail battered most of the US East Coast, from Alabama to New York, where tornado warnings were issued.
In Alabama, a 28-year-old man died after being struck by lightning in an industrial parking lot, while in South Carolina, a 15-year-old died when a tree fell in front of his grandparents’ house. On the East Coast, about 600,000 people were without power Tuesday morning, according to the website poweroutage.us.
The National Weather Service (NWS) had forecast a “moderate risk” of severe storms with winds up to more than 128 km/h. Despite some regions still facing the danger of flooding, the situation has calmed down in most areas.
The NWS issued a flash flood watch for Washington and the Virginia cities of Arlington and Alexandria until 02:45 Tuesday (0645 GMT). These storms added to the high temperatures in the southern United States, especially in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, where temperatures were forecast to reach 42°C on Tuesday.
Scientists emphasize that climate change is intensifying the frequency and strength of extreme weather events around the world.