A tornado warning accompanied by strong winds and hail has emerged today, sending shockwaves through the nation’s capital, Washington DC. As a result, government offices have been forced to close early, and a series of other public facilities, including libraries, museums, zoos, swimming pools, and various city and federal services in the Washington area, have also shut down prematurely.
The National Weather Service has issued a grave warning for over 29.5 million residents residing in the region spanning from Alabama to the western parts of New York state. The risk of tornadoes is expected to persist until 11:00 PM local time.
The most significant threat is concentrated in the mid-Atlantic region, encompassing Washington, DC. Reports indicate that wind speeds could exceed 121 kilometers per hour, with hailstones larger than golf balls pummeling the area.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated a widespread diversion of flight paths to avoid the storm’s path as much as possible, in a bid to ensure passenger safety.
Flight tracking website FlightAware has reported over 2,300 cancellations of US flights, including 95 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Furthermore, approximately 6,800 other flights across the United States have been delayed.
Meanwhile, according to data from PowerOutage.us, more than 800,000 customers have experienced power outages across the southern and central Atlantic states.
Citizens are urged to exercise extreme caution and adhere to official safety guidelines to stay protected from this severe weather event. Stay tuned for further updates on this unfolding situation.
