US braces for storms, tornadoes on Christmas

Amid forecast of snow, sleet and freezing rain, several Gulf Coast states in the US are bracing for a Christmas with twisters and thunderstorms.

Zeenews Bureau

New Orleans: Amid forecast of snow, sleet and freezing rain, several Gulf Coast states in the US are bracing for a Christmas with twisters and potent thunderstorms. The forecast could badly affect Christmas Day travel around the US’ midsection. According to news agency AP, a blizzard watch was posted for parts of Indiana and western Kentucky for storms expected later Tuesday amid predictions 4 to 7 inches of snow could fall in coming hours. Much of Oklahoma and Arkansas braced under a winter storm warning of nasty travel conditions forecasting a mix of rain and sleet early on. Some mountainous areas of Arkansas` Ozark Mountains could see up to 10 inches of snow amid warnings that travel could become "very hazardous or impossible" in the northern part of the state, the National Weather Service said. Elsewhere, areas of east Texas and Louisiana braced for possible thunderstorms as forecasters eyed a swath of the Gulf Coast from east Texas to the Florida Panhandle for the threat of any tornadoes. Storms that were to begin erupting during the day on Tuesday along the Gulf Coast could bring strong tornadoes or winds of more than 75 mph, heavy rain, quarter-sized hail and dangerous lightning in Louisiana and Mississippi, the National Weather Service said. (With Agency inputs)