2024 is shaping up to be a big year for tornadoes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center has recorded 66 preliminary tornado reports so far this year in Kansas, compared to 39 for all of 2023.
On Sunday, the National Weather Service confirmed two EF-1 tornadoes in Johnson County.
The uptick is due in part to El Nino, a phenomenon of higher temperatures in the Pacific Ocean that impact weather patterns across the United States.
El Nino is currently transitioning to a neutral condition, "a recipe for severe weather in the central United States," Chip Redmond, an assistant meteorologist at Kansas State University, told KCUR's Up To Date.
- Stephanie Sipprell, Emergency Response Speciailist Meteorologist at the National Weather Service
- Chip Redmond, Kansas State University Assistant Meteorologist
