The observations are impressive as Hurricane Laura approached & made landfall this morning.

At Lake Charles, the last measured gust was 132 mph (sustained at 98 mph) until one last gust to 134 mph & the anemometer broke.

Today, severe weather is active in the "Ring of Fire" from South Dakota & Minnesota to the Northeast.

Meanwhile, remnant moisture & circulation from what was once "Marco" has been moving through with a surge in the dew points to as high as 80, making this an extra-oppressive day.  Combined with temperatures of 84-91 over the area (cooler where there is considerable cloud cover) & heat indices are running as high as 103 at the moment.  At our WLFI ob site, it is 87 with a dew point of 77, making for a heat index of 99.

Now Tropical Storm Laura is in southern Arkansas & the first spoke or arm of life from the system is popping a line of storms over southern Illinois & far southern Indiana to Kentucky & also Oklahoma to Missouri.

A few showers & storms (30-35%) are possible this evening before becoming very isolated (20%) overnight (as any storm pop & what is left of arc of storms south of us moves northward).  A brief isolated severe storm is possible this evening.  Some scattered showers/t'showers (35-40%) are possible Friday morning.

Lows tonight will only drop to 73-77 with a muggy south-southwest wind.

With clouds/sun, a few showers/t'showers will give way to scattered storms in the afternoon-evening.

Scattered multi cells, an isolated supercell & a short line or two are possible with coverage peaking at 50-60%.

Highs will run 86-91, but dew points of 75-80 will send the heat index 97-108.

There is a SLIGHT RISK of severe weather for potential of scattered severe storms.

Locally-heavy rainfall is also possible.

Then, a line of storms should pass Friday overnight from the northwest with the cold front & upper trough.  The line may be in a weakening mode, but an isolated severe gust or two is possible.

The weekend looks good with sun & highs 78-84 with lows well down into the 50s.  It may still be rather humid early Saturday & then get better as the day goes on as a nice north-northwest wind goes north at 13-25 mph.

A few rounds of showers & storms are possible next week, most likely Monday evening-night, Tuesday evening-night & then Wednesday night-Thursday.  Confidence is still a bit low on the timing, however.

Main corridor of severe weather risk is shaping up south of our area.  We may see some isolated perhaps early in the week.

Later week shows higher odds of some scattered severe weather.

It will turn more humid again with highs in the 80s & lows in the 60s to near 70.