Sweltering temperatures in Twin Cities lead to rounds of severe storms and damage: Photos

Severe storms cause downed trees, power outages

Two rounds of severe storms packed a punch in the Twin Cities metro and central Minnesota, leaving thousands without power and others dealing with storm damage and downed trees. FOX 9's Bill Keller has more.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Sweltering temperatures led to two rounds of severe storms and heavy rain on Monday and Tuesday, which caused damage and power outages across the Twin Cities metro and central Minnesota.

The storms

Storms quickly developed Monday afternoon after the warmest day so far in the Twin Cities, where the heat index topped 110 degrees in some areas. The exploding storms quickly pushed eastward across the Twin Cities metro, bringing plenty of wind and rain, with 60+ mph gusts in the metro and 70+ mph gusts just outside the Twin Cities core in parts of Carver County, and then another pocket from Cambridge to the Rush City areas.

It was quick-hitting, with most areas getting no more than 20 minutes of heavy rain, but it dropped up to an inch in some spots. Then, there was a lull through much of the night before another quickly moving line intensified as it pushed into and through the metro with a forward speed of nearly 70mph.

Very strong wind gusts brought down more trees and powerlines, and the storm produced rainfall rates of nearly 4 inches an hour. The heaviest rain on Tuesday morning was even faster than on Monday, with downpours lasting 10 or 15 minutes at most. Now, the cleanup with tens of thousands without power as of mid-morning Tuesday.

Storm damage

Several people have reported broken tree branches, uprooted trees, and other debris left behind by the storms on Monday and Tuesday. The storms also left thousands without power.

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St. Paul Parks and Recreation spokesperson Clare Cloyd told FOX 9 that on Tuesday, they received over 500 reports of damage.

"Our guess based on what we are seeing is that we will have over 2,000+ impacted public trees that will require a multiday effort to address," she said in a statement, adding, "Forestry crews are actively responding to tree damage reports, focusing on clearing major arterials so emergency vehicles have access, then other fully blocked roads and working down priorities from there."

Minnesota State Fair damage

Tuesday morning storms left a path of damage in their wake at the Minnesota State Fair. FOX 9 crews on the fairgrounds captured uprooted trees, debris in the roadways, toppled playsets, and tipped-over signs.

State Fair officials delayed the start of the fair on Tuesday and asked fairgoers to stay away from the grounds as crews worked to assess the damage and clean up debris.

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Storm damage at the Minnesota State Fair Aug. 27.

From: FOX 9

This comes after strong storms Monday night that prompted severe thunderstorm warnings for much of the metro area. Tornado sirens also sounded due to the risk of winds reaching over 70 mph. Fairgoers were urged to seek shelter as some rides, attractions, and vendors were temporarily closed.