Monday will start sunny, but potentially severe weather is on the way

Des Moines is getting a mostly sunny and warm start to the week on Monday morning, but severe weather will likely follow.

What is the weather today?

Temperatures for Monday could reach up to 85 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Des Moines. That's after Sunday set a new record high of 88 degrees.

Southeast winds between 15 and 25 mph are expected, with lows of 45 to 55 degrees into the night.

Due to the dry, warm weather and wind on Monday, NWS warns very high to extreme fire weather conditions. Monday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., there is a red flag warning in effect. Iowans should heed all fire restrictions and use caution with fire triggers like cars, grills and campfires.

Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop southwest to northeast across Iowa in the night, according to the NWS. Some could be severe in the west, with large hail as the primary threat.

What is the severe weather outlook for this week?

Severe storms are possible Tuesday during the day and into the early evening, with tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds possible.

Storms are expected on Tuesday from mid-morning through the early evening. Confidence in the tornado potential is medium, NWS says. Strong tornadoes (EF2+) are possible in southeast Iowa.

Storms will be fast-moving and up to 55 mph, producing strong and gusty winds. Wind gusts of at least 60 to 70 mph are possible, NWS warns.

What should you do in the case of severe weather?

Staying weather aware will be important. Look out for wireless emergency alerts on your smartphone or stay up to date on forecasts at weather.gov/desmoines.

NWS has some more tips for severe weather:

• Get in: If you are outside, get inside. If you're already inside, get as far into the middle of the building as possible.
• Get down: Get underground if possible. If you can't, go to the lowest floor possible.
• Cover up: Flying and falling debris are a storm's number one danger. Use pillows, blankets, coats, helmets to cover up and protect your head and body from flying debris.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.