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After weeks of destructive storms, a new round of severe weather is threatening the nation's midsection on Tuesday as forecasters say record heat is once again possible across the Southwest.
Strong to severe thunderstorms are in the forecast for Tuesday across the Southern Plains and Mississippi River Valley, with large hail, damaging winds, heavy rain and tornadoes possible.
"Another busy week this week with strong to severe thunderstorms in parts of the same areas, the Ark-La-Tex up towards the Midwest and the Mississippi River Valley," Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean said Monday on "Fox & Friends."
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According to the National Weather Service's (NWS) Weather Prediction Center (WPC), a storm system moving out of the Pacific Northwest and associated cold front will sweep across the Central and Southern Plains into the Mississippi River Valley, bringing the potential for severe weather.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued an enhanced risk for severe weather in north Texas, eastern Oklahoma, western Arkansas and northwest Louisiana.
Over 14 million people are in the area under an enhanced risk for severe weather, including major cities such as the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
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The risk for severe weather stretches northward and eastward for an additional 23 million Americans in cities such as Houston, Austin, St. Louis and Rockford, Ill.
The primary threats include widespread damaging winds and large hail, according to forecasters.
"A tornado or two also cannot be ruled out," the SPC said.
'Sizzling' conditions remain in Southern California, Southwest
As the severe weather threat returns to the nation's midsection, hot weather continues out West.
"The other side of this, across the West, dealing with record heat," Dean said Monday.
Heat warnings and heat advisories are in effect in the desert Southwest and interior Southern Calfornia. The WPC said "sizzling temperatures" continue as a high-pressure system lingers over the region.
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Phoenix reached 100 degrees on Sunday, the first of 2020, where excessive heat warnings remain in effect for the metro area.
"We could see the first 100-degree temperature in Las Vegas for April this week," Dean said.
Temperatures are forecast to be 10 to 15 degrees above average through Thursday, with a few daily record highs possible across the region.
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"Northern and central New Mexico remain at risk for elevated wildfires conditions through Monday," the WPC said.