Midweek storms expected

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) – Forecasters say the ingredients necessary for bad weather are coming together for a series of midweek storms.

Large hail, high winds and a few tornadoes are possible Wednesday in the Plains of eastern Kansas and northern Oklahoma. The mid-Mississippi River Valley, including nearly all of Illinois, could see even worse weather Thursday.

The Oklahoma-based Storm Prediction Center says seasonal warming and changes in the jet stream are behind the new round of severe weather. Cool air in place early this year suppressed thunderstorm development in much of the country, and until late March the U.S. went more than a month without a twister.

Emergency officials said a tornado touched down briefly Tuesday night in southeastern Kansas. Hail and high winds caused problems from St. Louis to southwestern Indiana.