Wild weather wallops Midwest

AURORA, Neb., June 18 (UPI) -- Heavy thunderstorms were expected to pummel the Midwestern United States Thursday, one day after tornadoes ripped through several states, forecasters said.

Strong storms are expected to hit parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin Thursday, forecasters said. The National Weather Service said some areas could experience hail, winds gusting up to 70 mph and dangerous lightning.

Tornadoes hit parts of Minnesota and Nebraska Wednesday, toppling trees, snapping power lines and powering down cell phone service, CNN reported Thursday.

In Florida, meanwhile, at least a dozen lightning strikes around Hillsborough County Wednesday felled trees and ignited small fires, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

The strikes touched off fires in five homes and ignited four trees, two poles and a transformer, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue officials said.

Officials in Aurora, Neb., said a tornado caused severe property damage near the southeastern Nebraska community.

In Austin, Minn., a twister tossed several vehicles around and sent trees into homes, a police dispatcher said.

The severe thunderstorms cut a wide swath Wednesday, producing damaging winds and hail across the nation's midsection, Accuweather.com reported.

The weather Web site reported one thunderstorm's gusty violence ripped the roof and doors off a storage barn in Oak Grove, Ky.

Strong thunderstorm winds downed trees and traffic lights in the Knoxville, Tenn., area, officials reported.

A semi-truck was reported overturned by a gusty thunderstorm north of Amarillo, Texas.

Softball-size hail battered an area near Boonville, Mo., while baseball-size hail damaged vehicle windows and a home near Taylor, Neb., officials said.