Violent storms and tornadoes threaten to lower turnout for the mid-term elections across the East Coast
- Violent storms and potential tornadoes forecast overnight Monday into Tuesday
- Philadelphia, Washington DC, Richmond and Charlotte could all be affected
- Biggest risk comes across Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama
- There are fears that severe weather could affect turnout in the mid-terms
Violent storms, hail and tornadoes are set to batter central and eastern America on Tuesday morning as voters head to the polls for the mid-terms.
A storm system will bring a high risk of severe weather across Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas overnight on Monday, ABC reports.
The cold, wet and windy weather will then weaken as it moves east on Tuesday morning, but could still bring tornadoes to the eastern seaboard anywhere from Georgia up through the Carolinas and into Pennsylvania.
Severe weather will hit Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas on Monday night before tracking east on Tuesday (pictured), bringing high winds, rain and thunderstorms
Hail, thunder and tornadoes are possible anywhere from Georgia, up through the Carolinas and into Pennsylvania on Tuesday, forecasters say
The storms will likely suppress voter turnout in mid-terms as people struggle to get out and cast their ballots (pictured, a downed tree in Wilmington, Massachusetts)
A storm system centered around the Great Lakes is responsible for the cold front sweeping east and bringing disruption on polling day, the Weather Channel reports.
There will be an intensifying area of low pressure tracking through southern Canada on Tuesday, pushing its associated cold front through the eastern states.
The Great Lakes, northeast and New England will see gusts of up to 40mph and and heavy rain on Tuesday.
Meanwhile light snowfall is possible in North Dakota, northern Minnesota and upper Michigan, or rain mixed with snow.
There are fears that the weather could suppress voter turnout on election day, but forecasters say that - because the weather system is moving - no one place will be a washout for the entire day.
Aside from the potentially disruptive weather, the eastern half of the US will see above-average temperatures, so people are being told to vote between storms.
It comes after two men died after high winds during a storm caused a 50-foot wall to collapse at an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Maryland on Friday night
The heavy winds knocked down fences and light poles, as well as scattering debris
Trees were also felled in Mississippi last week, in a taste of what could be to come on Tuesday
The central plains and west should remain dry throughout the day.
It comes after two people died last week as storms tore through Maryland, destroying part of an Amazon fulfillment center.
The Florida Panhandle was also struck be severe weather last week, while at least 12 tornadoes were confirmed in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, with the damage surveys expected to continue Friday.
Voting opens on Tuesday morning in crucial mid-term ballots which will see all 435 seats in the House and 35 seats in the Senate up for grabs, as well as 36 gubernatorial races taking place.
The polls will be seen as a litmus test on Donald Trump's presidency, and will define the rest of his term.
Should Republicans hold their majorities in both the Senate and House, or even increase them, it will be a massive boost to Trump's often polarizing political agenda and act as a springboard for a 2020 presidential run.
However, if a 'blue wave' emerges among Democrat support and they seize back control of one or both houses, things will become much harder for Trump.
The Dems have vowed to frustrate his America First agenda at every turn, with the possibility of impeachment once Robert Muller finishes his election meddling probe.
At the moment, polls project Democrats winning back the House but failing to take the Senate.
However, the same polls also projected a comfortable win for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
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