This weekend, powerful and destructive thunderstorms are anticipated in the Midwest, Central Plains, and Southeast, leading to heavy rain and flash flooding in the upcoming days.

By early Saturday, rain and strong wind gusts had already left over 50,000 residents in Nebraska without power. Poweroutage.us. The National Weather Service warns that severe weather may still be unfolding.

The agency forecasts “massive nocturnal thunderstorms” affecting parts of the Midwest from the weekend through Monday.

Clusters of thunderstorms, especially during nighttime, are likely to produce “very heavy rain” along corridors extending from northern Missouri to southern Iowa and southern Wisconsin. The National Weather Service reports.

“We expect localized rainfall totals to reach 9 inches over several days,” stated the agency. Saturday’s short-distance forecast discussion noted.

Consequently, there is a significant flash flood threat across the region.

In the Southeast, storms are expected to persist, particularly in northern Florida and southern Georgia this weekend, accompanied by heavy rainfall.

“The daily heavy rains on already saturated ground present localized flooding risks, especially along the coast in southeastern Georgia,” the local NWS branch in Jacksonville, Florida, stated in their weekend predictions.

Central and South Florida may experience numerous showers and slow-moving storms, leading to damaging winds and heavy downpours, according to the NWS.

Meanwhile, the Southwest is grappling with record-breaking heat. Triple-digit temperatures are widespread in Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, with Phoenix hitting 118 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, breaking the city’s daily record. Other Arizona cities, including Scottsdale, Yuma, Bryce, and Deer Valley, have also reported similar daily temperature records. The National Weather Service confirmed.

Although the weekend temperatures in Arizona and other areas of the Southwest Desert are expected to be less extreme than recent highs, the NWS indicates that high temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit are still possible.

In Albuquerque, Friday’s high of 101 degrees Fahrenheit shattered the previous record of 98 degrees F set in 2011. The NWS reported. A heat advisory remains in effect until Saturday evening, just before a storm moves through central and northeastern New Mexico on Sunday.