Today’s top weather news: The Northeast is at risk of flooding from a dangerous combination of weather

Welcome to FOX Weather’s daily weather update. It’s Sunday, December 8, 2024, and National Christmas Tree Day. End your weekend with everything you need to know about this week’s weather. Get quick updates on national, regional and local weather at any time with the FOX Weather Update podcast.

The Northeast is at risk of flooding from a dangerous combination of weather

Heavy rain, melting snow and sharp warming are forecast to overlap in the Northeast, raising the risk of flooding for millions of people in the coming week. The first round of rain is expected Monday afternoon, with a second storm system expected to bring more drenching through Wednesday. The greatest risk of flooding is in areas with snow on the ground following numerous rounds of winter weather since Thanksgiving.

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Fire danger returns in Southern California

Potentially damaging Santa Ana winds are forecast to develop in Southern California through midweek, posing a serious fire threat to the mountains and valleys of Los Angeles and San Diego counties. These strong winds are expected to have the greatest impact on the region starting Monday night and continuing into Wednesday evening. Strong winds and relative humidity in the single digits could cause sparks to quickly spread into a dangerous wildfire.

Fire weather warnings for Southern California are in effect until Wednesday.
(FOX Weather)

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Flooding threatens the New Orleans metro on Monday

A rainy start to the week puts millions of people across the South at risk of flash flooding, including those in the New Orleans metro. While most of the rain will be beneficial, heavier and persistent rainfall could trigger flash flooding. NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center has released a level 2 out of 4 lightning flash flood Risk to the central Gulf Coast on Monday, including New Orleans. This threat is moving eastward and affecting the Atlanta area on Tuesday.

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Storm Darragh leaves at least two dead in Great Britain

A powerful storm that hit Ireland and the United Kingdom this weekend turned deadly as wind gusts reached speeds of over 80-90 miles per hour. At least two people were killed in England when trees fell during the storm’s fierce winds, according to local police. At the height of the storm on Saturday, more than half a million people across Ireland and Britain were without power, but on Sunday the number of outages fell dramatically.

PORTHCAWL, WALES – DECEMBER 7: Waves crash against the harbor wall in Porthcawl, Wales on December 7, 2024. Storm Darragh is the fourth named storm of the season and is expected to bring wind gusts of up to 80mph and heavy rain over the weekend. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Tuesday marks the third anniversary of the deadly EF-4 tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky

This week marks the third anniversary of the deadliest tornado outbreak in Kentucky history. To. On December 10, 2021, 24 people died in Mayfield when a long-track EF-4 tornado devastated the town, leaving it almost unrecognizable. Dozens of others were killed across the state as the twister’s path of destruction stretched a staggering 165.7 miles through 19 counties in just three hours.

Are you afraid of the weather? The working week ends on Friday the 13th

This Friday marks the terrible day Friday the 13th. Did you know that the fear of tornadoes or hurricanes is called lilapsophobia? What about the fear of thunder and lightning, called astraphobia? No matter what type of extreme weather you’re worried about, FOX Weather brings you a list of 13 weather-related fears as we prepare for another Friday the 13th at the end of the upcoming work week.

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