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Storms sweep through Michigan; some 11,000 outages reported
Tropical Storm Arthur forms, first of 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
Tropical Storm Arthur has officially formed and has already brought heavy rainfall from Texas to the Florida Panhandle.
A storm system moving across Michigan is bringing thunderstorms, high winds and possible tornadoes to the southern part of the state Wednesday night.
The National Weather Service issued late Wednesday a hazardous weather outlook for Lower Michigan, with the continued threat of widespread thunderstorms in southeast Michigan. Storms could bring winds up to 70 mph, hail up to an inch in diameter and a chance of multiple tornadoes. The worst weather is expected until midnight, the National Weather Service said.
The strong low-pressure system could bring heavy rainfall with totals up to 1 inch across the Saginaw Valley and Thumb regions and lesser amounts farther south. Up to 2 inches of rain, which could bring localized flooding, are also a threat.
By nightfall, some 9,188 DTE Energy customers, up from 7,100 earlier in the night, and more than 2,000 Consumers Energy customers had lost power.
The severe weather forecast prompted the weather service to issue flood watches for much of southeast Michigan.
The flood watches, which cover Saginaw, Tuscola, Sanilac, Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties, are in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday, the agency said.
Up to 3 inches of rain are possible in some locations. Flash flooding is most likely in urban areas, the agency said.
Dan DePodwin, vice president of Forecasting Operations for AccuWeather, said dozens of tornado reports are likely, with some tornadoes expected to be intense and on the ground for a long time.
‘The atmosphere across the Midwest is primed for a volatile day of destructive, rapidly moving thunderstorms that can bring widespread damaging winds, tornadoes, hail and flash flooding,” he said in a statement. “The threat will continue overnight Wednesday as the storms race east into Indiana, far southern Michigan, Ohio and potentially even western Pennsylvania.”
The storms come one day after a weather system brought hail and high winds to southern Michigan.
The weather service received reports of 1-inch hail Tuesday night in Ionia County, while half-inch hailstones were seen in Dimondale, south of Lansing, and near Webberville, in Ingham County.
Wind gusts Tuesday night were as high as 49 mph, according to readings in the Fishers Lake area, in Gogebic County, NWS reported.
How much rain could storms dump?
Officials said they expect showers and thunderstorms to drop one to 2 inches of rain on the region, especially in areas along and south of M-59. Three inches or more possible in some areas, according to the forecast.
So far this month, Detroit has received about 2.76 inches of precipitation, almost an inch more than normal for the first 17 days in June, according to weather service data.
The record for the most rainfall in the same period was set in 1980 with 5.97 inches. The record for the least was set in 1913 with .06 of an inch.
There’s a slight risk for severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, the NWS said. Flash floods, damaging winds, and tornadoes are the primary threats they pose, the agency said. Urban areas face the greatest threat of flash flooding, it said.
“The bulk of the rainfall is expected in a relatively brief window between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. and brings a heightened threat for flash flooding, especially across urban areas, including Metro Detroit,” the NWS forecast said.
Cooler temps linger
Meanwhile, meteorologists predict temperatures across the region to hover slightly below normal through the week and into the weekend.
The city’s average monthly high temperature in June is 79.7.
Extended Detroit forecast
Thursday: Partly sunny; high 72, low 56
Friday: Sunny; high 76, low 55
Saturday: Sunny; high 78, low 57
Sunday: Mostly sunny; high 77, low 59
Monday: Mostly sunny; high 76, low 57
Tuesday: Sunny, high 78
Source: National Weather Service
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