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The long line of severe storms that swept across the Midwest recently – from parts of Nebraska, through Iowa and into Illinois – has been officially classified a derecho by the Storm Prediction Center.

The Center classifies derechos as a wind damage swath that “extends more than 240 miles and has wind gusts of at least 58 mph or greater along most of the length of the storm’s path.”

It signaled the start of what became a severe weather weekend and a 2024 Memorial Day, with dozens of reports of strong winds, rain or hail hitting many parts of the U.S.

“We have obviously seen an absolutely, astronomically high number of severe weather reports over the last month,” says Michael Clark, chief meteorologist for BAMWX.com.

While the number of storms this month has been unusually high, their occurrence has been expected meteorologists say, as the country transitions away from an El Niño into a La Niña.

“In spring, whenever you see these transitions, severe weather is amplified quite a bit,” Clark says.

According to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, there is a 49% chance La Niña develops between June and August, and a 69% likelihood it will be in place sometime between July and September.

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