Tornado warnings cleared fast, but near-record heat and storms loom Wednesday and Thursday.
Metro Detroit had a jittery Tuesday of tornado warnings, heavy rain and rising heat, but the bigger weather story is still ahead. Forecasters say the real danger arrives Wednesday and Thursday, with near-record heat and a growing threat of severe storms.
The good news first: a tornado warning issued for central Wayne County early this afternoon was canceled within about 40 minutes, and no tornado has been confirmed on the ground. A heat advisory remains in effect, though, and the National Weather Service has now extended that concern into Wednesday.
The tornado warnings, issued and quickly canceled
The Wayne County warning was prompted by a storm near Romulus moving northeast around 2:20 p.m., with Taylor, Dearborn, Trenton, Wyandotte and Grosse Ile in its path. The rotation weakened fast, and the NWS canceled the warning around 2:47 p.m., earlier than its 3 p.m. expiration.
It capped a busy afternoon. Earlier tornado warnings had been issued for parts of Saginaw, Shiawassee and Genesee counties, all of which cleared by about 2 p.m. Separately, social media reports suggested a possible small tornado in Eaton County near Lansing, where a storage barn in Oneida Township was reportedly destroyed, though the NWS had not confirmed any tornado there as of this afternoon.
Heat advisory in effect
The heat is the more persistent hazard. A heat advisory ran until 8 p.m. today, and the weather service issued another from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday for Lenawee, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties, with heat index values up to 100 degrees.
Officials urged residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air conditioning, limit strenuous activity to early morning or evening, and check on elderly neighbors. As always, they warned never to leave children or pets in a parked car, where temperatures can turn deadly within minutes.
Today’s storms and flash-flood risk
Today’s rain rolled in during the afternoon and lingered into evening. Forecasters said rainfall rates could top an inch an hour, with totals ranging from a quarter inch to more than two inches in spots, enough to trigger isolated flash flooding in low-lying and urban areas.
That rain lands in an unusually dry stretch. Detroit had recorded only 0.17 of an inch this month, well below normal, making it one of the driest starts to June on record. The downpours help the deficit but arrive fast enough to pose a runoff risk.
Near-record heat Wednesday and Thursday
The heat builds toward levels Detroit rarely sees this early. Wednesday’s high is forecast around 93 degrees, just shy of the June 10 record of 95 set in 1911. Thursday could reach 94, approaching the June 11 record of 97 from 1933. Paired with humidity, heat index values both days are expected near or above 100.
CBS Detroit has flagged both Wednesday and Thursday as alert days because of the combined heat and storm threat.
The bigger severe threat lands Thursday
The storm risk escalates as the week goes on. Isolated storms may form Wednesday night, but the greater severe potential is Thursday as a strong system moves into the Great Lakes, with the Storm Prediction Center placing Southeast Michigan in a slight risk for June 11. If storms hold together, the main concerns are damaging winds up to 60 mph and hail up to an inch, with an isolated tornado not ruled out.
A reminder on terminology: a watch means be prepared because conditions could turn severe, while a warning means take action because severe weather is imminent or occurring. A warning can come even without a watch in place.
What’s next
Relief is in sight. After Thursday’s front passes, skies clear and temperatures ease, with Detroit expected near 87 on Friday and 86 on Saturday before cooler, calmer conditions settle in early next week.