Five tornadoes hit the Kansas City area Monday night. Did a change in National Weather Service balloon launches leave forecasters in the dark about the threat for much of the day?

Hail topped 3 inches in diameter (bigger than baseballs) in both the Midwest and Plains on Friday, with many significant hail reports (over 2 inches). Hurricane force wind gusts also verified on Friday,

Risk of severe weather stretches across parts of the Midwest on Friday.

Six tornadoes were reported and hail up to 4 inches across damaged cars and homes. Damage surveys are underway as heavy rain raises flooding concerns in parts of the region.

The tornado made “like a whirring sound … and I could hear things being ripped off (the house),” one resident said.

A new batch of severe storms fired up Wednesday afternoon, dropping softball-sized hail near Kansas City and golf-ball sized hail in Ohio.

Multiple tornadoes tore through Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin on Friday, leaving heavy damage in Lena, Illinois, and forcing evacuations in Rochester and Marion, Minnesota.

After severe storms damaged communities in the Plains and the Midwest, forecasters warned that storms could bring giant hail, tornadoes and severe wind gusts to the regions again. Authorities in Kansas reported several people with minor injuries after storms passed through on Monday.

The main threats from the storms include large hail, severe wind gusts, and a limited possibility of tornadoes. Forecasters note uncertainty in the storm's exact timing and location due to disruptions from earlier weather activity.

Severe thunderstorms tore across parts of the Midwest, producing multiple tornadoes and unleashing destructive hail and damaging wind.

The air has been sticky, with temperatures rising through the afternoon each day before the clouds start to appear. By evening, the phone alerts begin to sound, announcing warnings of thunderstorms that could bring giant hail, damaging winds, flash floods or even dangerous tornadoes.