Nearly 80 million under severe storm alert across US East Coast

Nearly 80 million people along the US East Coast were under alert on Sunday as severe storms were forecast to impact areas from northern Georgia to Maine, media reports said.

The main threats include damaging winds, large hail, lightning and the possibility of isolated tornadoes, according to ABC News.

Major cities within the risk zone include New York City, Albany, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Forecasters said the storm system was expected to move into the East Coast on Sunday afternoon and continue into the night after advancing from Ohio and Tennessee.

The severe weather threat follows powerful storms that affected parts of the central Plains on Saturday.

Hail the size of softballs was reported near Winfield, Kansas, about 45 miles south of Wichita, while larger-than-golf-ball-sized hail was recorded in other parts of Kansas and Nebraska, according to the report.

A weather station measured wind speeds of 84 miles per hour in Neosho, Missouri, causing tree damage and widespread power outages.

Separately, a slow-moving cold front is expected to bring heavy rainfall from Texas to Georgia through Tuesday, with some areas forecast to receive between 1 and 2 inches of rain.

Heat and humidity are also expected to persist across parts of the Southeast and the West Coast.

Heat index values are forecast to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Raleigh, Savannah and Tallahassee, while parts of California and the Pacific Northwest remain under heat alerts.

The outlet also reported that some areas of the Pacific Northwest could experience daytime temperatures between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit through Tuesday.