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Thunderstorms Threaten to Bring Dangerous Winds, Flooding to Central U.S.

Thunderstorms were threatening the central U.S. on Wednesday as the southwest braced for a dangerous heat wave.

Millions of Americans were facing a bout of severe weather on Wednesday, with forecasters warning of dangerous winds and isolated tornadoes.

A slow-moving low pressure system will bring more thunderstorms to portions of the Midwest on Wednesday, according to The Weather Channel.

The National Weather Service warned that severe storms with large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes were possible in parts of the central and eastern U.S. Heavy downpours could also cause flash floods, it added.

Wisconsin and the Ohio Valley were most at risk on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said, before the storms shift eastward.

A flash flood watch was issued for the Chicago area amid fears the storms could dump up to 2 inches of rain per hour, according to NBC Chicago. It reported that some areas could see more than 4 inches of rainfall by Wednesday morning.

The southwest, meanwhile, will be facing a dangerous and potentially record-setting heat wave over the next week. NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins warned that highs will easily reach the mid-90s — with a much higher Heat Index — in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas in the next two days before the axis of hot air moves to the southwest.

A heat advisory was issued for much of North Texas amid the prospect of dangerous temperatures, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.