People stand among downed trees at an apartment complex damaged by a tornado Thursday in Spartanburg, S.C. (Sean Rayford/AP)A powerful storm system is moving into the Northeast after unleashing tornadoes and flooding in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. A surprise batch of tornado warnings lit up weather maps across the Mid-Atlantic on Friday morning, one or more likely tornadoes touching down northwest of Washington shortly after sunrise. The tornadic activity in the Mid-Atlantic comes after several severe weather days in the Deep South and Southeast. Brad Panovich, chief meteorologist at Charlotte’s NBC affiliate, was on the air covering tornado warnings when one twister struck his neighborhood, “trashing” his backyard. (Weatherbell)The same relentless storm system accompanies a ferocious upper-level jet stream, which could help trans-Atlantic flights cross the ocean at ground speeds near 800 mph.

Source: Washington Post February 07, 2020 18:47 UTC