As US braces for 'multiple strong tornadoes', major New York airports issue ground stops over severe thunderstorms

Freezing rain and extreme winds hit the United States over the weekend, killing three children in Michigan after a tree fell on a van. An 84-year-old man was also killed in the fierce weekend storm that swept the region and contributed in an Amish buggy in Indiana, authorities said Monday, according to news agency AP.

Now, another round of severe thunderstorm and severe weather is set to threaten the central U.S. with damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes starting late Tuesday and continuing through Thursday. Simultaneously, a significant risk of extreme flash flooding is growing for the Mississippi and Ohio valleys this week, where some areas could see nearly a foot of rain.

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Major NY airports issue ground stops

The next round of severe weather will begin on Tuesday in the Plains and could peak on Wednesday in the Midwest and South while a serious multiday threat of flooding rain will also develop in parts of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, according to The Weather Channel. According to the experts, "significant" threat could see "multiple strong tornadoes" break out.

Severe thunderstorms have lashed New York and the tri-state area on Monday night, prompting major airports to issue ground stops, according to Express News. Damaging winds, hail, isolated flooding with a potential tornado were forecast to hit New York, officials said. Wind gusts could top 60 miles an hour.

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Major airports including John F Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International issued ground stops amid the wild weather, the report said.

According to the report, JFK was experiencing departure delays of more than an hour due to the weather, with all inbound flights being held at their origin until Monday at 10pm EDT.

US braces for severe weather

The storm that tore through the central and eastern US last week delivered around 450 severe weather incidents, including hail the size of baseballs and several tornadoes. This week's storm is anticipated to be even stronger, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.

"There will be strong winds generated by the storm system, and that will help fuel the intensity level of the thunderstorms beginning late Tuesday over portions of the southern and central Plains," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. Parts of Nebraska and Iowa, western Iowa, and southward to central Texas will be at risk for severe weather by Tuesday night.

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Storm damage was reported in several counties in Tennessee, including Maury and Humphreys, WSMV-TV reported. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis reported damage across the county, including a roof torn off a house. The homeowners were trapped inside but not injured.

Clusters of thunderstorms accompanied by strong to severe wind gusts and perhaps a few tornadoes were spreading across much of the Southeast on Monday, the National Weather Service said. In Dothan, Alabama, five students suffered minor injuries when a storm caused part of their school's gymnasium roof to collapse, news outlets reported.

Flood watches have been issued for Wednesday through Sunday in 11 states, from northeast Texas through Arkansas and stretching to the western edge of West Virginia. The weather service warned that up to 1 foot (30.5 centimeters) of rain in some areas “is not out of the question. This is expected to be a high end event with life-threatening flooding.”