More Tornadoes Threaten the Plains; Heavy Rain as System Moves East

— -- More severe weather threatened 40 million people in the already storm battered Plains states this weekend, with baseball sized hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding expected.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Jeremy Martin in Goodland, Kansas, said there is also the chance for tornadoes today.

"We have an area of moist unstable air that is kind of already setting the place across the area," he said. "As thunderstorms start to develop today, the combination of this instability and wind shear are going to provide a favorable environment for strong to severe thunderstorms including a few possibly long track tornadoes."

Large hail and destructive winds are expected over the weekend, along with heavy rain with flood watches stretching from Dallas to Oklahoma City.

"If you're in Central Plains today, you gotta keep your eyes out for the weather and beware as things change," Martin said. "Storms can develop pretty rapidly this afternoon."

But the forecast for the rest of the weekend looks better, he said.

"At least for the central Plains, this system should clear out of here tonight and it should be a lot quieter on Sunday," Martin said. "The severe weather threat will hit over to the upper Midwest, great Plains area."

This area has already seen 10 to 15 inches of rain this month. One to three additional inches are expected this weekend.

Storms last weekend caused several tornadoes, flooding and at least four deaths.