A new El Niño event is emerging in the Pacific for the summer of 2026, and federal meteorologists predict it will lead to multiple intense thunderstorm outbreaks from the Plains through the Midwest during June and July. NOAA's forecast for June highlights the Great Plains, Upper Midwest, and Great Lakes as the main areas for tornadoes and hail. AccuWeather indicates that there could be higher-than-normal tornado occurrences from the Plains to the East Coast. The shift from La Niña is causing an unstable weather pattern early in the summer across 12 states.
