Daily briefing: Flash flood risk for the Upper Midwest, soggy Florida

Heavy rains are expected to impact parts of the Midwest, increasing the likelihood of flash flooding. The heat expands across the Central Plains and into the southern Great Lakes, where temperatures in the mid-90s appear. All of this, along with today's tropical outlook, is included in the daily briefing, published every weekday at 5 a.m. ET.

Wednesday is showing a risk for severe wind gusts across parts of the middle Missouri Valley and Upper Midwest, as well as adjacent portions of the Great Lakes, which could persist into the late-evening hours. Ensure that you have your alerts enabled. Please pick up any objects that could easily fly in your yards, patios, gardens, or balconies.

This same region is also vulnerable to flash floods. Heavy rains on Wednesday could fall quickly, with some rainfall rates between 1 and 2 inches per hour, and some areas across the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin receiving between 4 and 5 inches of rain in 24 hours. Please stay away from flooded areas, turn around, don't drown.

The West will continue with below-average temperatures. Southern California will also stay much cooler than average, with highs between 5 to 10 degrees below average, only reaching the low 70s. Phoenix is expected to reach 103°F on Wednesday, which is slightly below average for this time of year. The Desert Southwest will continue to experience a gradual increase in afternoon temperatures, with Phoenix likely reaching 110°F on Sunday.

A trough of low pressure at the end of a front is forecast to move west/southwest into the Gulf over the next few days. Some slow development is possible, but the National Hurricane Center only gives this area a 10% chance of development within the next 7 days.

Do you know that the corn could be to blame for some of the extreme heat experienced? It turns out that the massive corn fields across the Corn Belt produce a lot of extra humidity. Learn more about it here.