Deadly tornadoes and floods threaten millions across 13 US states: Shelter in place NOW

A major storm system is threatening tens of millions of Americans in the Midwest with potentially deadly flash floods and intense tornadoes touching down on Monday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued severe thunderstorm warnings and flood watches across Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Ohio.

Meteorologist Max Velocity revealed that tornadoes have already been spotted touching down in Nebraska around 3.50pm ET, where the NWS has issued tornado watches in multiple counties.

'You need to be taking shelter now,' Velocity said in a livestream on social media Monday afternoon.

Extreme weather, including large hail, damaging winds over 75 mph, and the potential for widespread cyclones, has also been forecasted for Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas and Oklahoma starting Monday night and lasting through Tuesday.

AccuWeather has warned that major cities will see a high risk of dangerous storm activity Monday night, including Chicago, Des Moines, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Omaha and Minneapolis.

Hurricane-force winds are expected to damage local homes and businesses and potentially knock out power across the region.

Southern Iowa and Nebraska, northwestern Missouri and central Kansas have been deemed at the highest risk of seeing 'intense tornadoes' touch down on Monday.

AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said: 'There could be at least two dozen tornadoes from Monday afternoon through Monday night, with the potential for 40 to 50.'

NWS has already issued tornado warnings in 22 counties across Kansas and six more in Nebraska as of 2pm ET, with each alert in effect until 9pm tonight.

In Kansas, digital meteorologist Ryan Hall was broadcasting live as storm chasers spotted another massive tornado forming over Miltonvale.

NWS alerts warn that parts of Missouri and Nebraska may see more than four inches of rain fall through Tuesday, causing excessive runoff as the ground will not be able to absorb all of the downpours.

'Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,' the weather service added in an alert.

AccuWeather warned that several inches of rain could begin to fall per hour in areas seeing the most severe thunderstorms this week.

Meteorologists added that these storm systems will likely turn into supercells, a rare and most dangerous form of thunderstorm, capable of producing tornadoes that can topple trees or damage roofs.

Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air that swirl down to the ground. They can vary in strength and destructiveness, from weak ones that cause minor damage to roofs, all the way up to powerful monsters that can completely destroy well-built homes and flip cars.

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They are measured in terms of their wind strength, going from EF0, with moderately damaging winds under 85mph, to the most powerful EF5, which exceeds 200mph and can rip buildings off their foundations.

However, the threat caused by intense flash flooding this week is set to impact even more Americans, with forecasts on Monday showing the storms are expected to inundate Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas.

In some cases, flash flooding can begin in as little as three hours. Unlike river floods, which build gradually over time, flash floods are triggered by sudden, intense bursts of rain that overwhelm the ground’s ability to absorb water.

The major storm system has been fueled by warm, moist air from the Gulf of America, clashing with cooler, drier air as it moves north.

Strong wind shear, which is changes in the wind's speed and direction higher in the atmosphere, is also helping the storms to rotate and organize into powerful supercells.

A sharp boundary called the dryline, where hot dry air from the Southwest meets the warm moist air, acts like a trigger that forces the moist air to rise explosively and sparks the development of these intense thunderstorms.

This setup is a classic weather pattern seen during severe spring storm seasons in the Plains and Midwest, often referred to as 'Tornado Alley.'

AccuWeather Meteorologist Peyton Simmers added in a statement: 'There will be multiple storms that produce golf ball to baseball-sized hail into Monday night.'

Hailstones that big can be incredibly dangerous, especially for drivers. They can dent car roofs and hoods, shatter windshields and also seriously injure people, pets and livestock standing outside.