There is no doubt, 2025 has been busy in the severe weather department. From damaging winds, to large hail, to hundreds of tornadoes, this year has been more active than normal.

The severe weather season quickly ramped up in March in the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys. It was also active in the south.

The severe weather didn’t stop there. Virtually the same areas were hit hard in April and May. 

On the 16th of May, an outbreak of tornadoes impacted Missouri, southern Illinois and Kentucky with several strong tornadoes. In fact, an EF4 tornado hit London, Kentucky. 19 people were killed from severe weather in Kentucky that day. 

EFU (Undefined): 68

EF0: 245

EF1: 406

EF2: 117

EF3: 32

EF4: 5

EF5: 0

A path of destroyed homes is seen, Sunday, May 18, 2025, in London, Ky., after a severe storm passed through the area. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The severe weather continued into June. Two major metro areas were hit by tornadoes early in the month. The Kansas City region was hit by two tornadoes on the 3rd of the month. The day after, the western suburbs of St. Louis were hit by an EF1 tornado.

The St. Louis area so far this year has experienced 43 tornadoes. That doubles their annual average, which is around 22 tornadoes. Additionally, 28% of these tornadoes have been strong to violent (EF2+).

De Soto, Missouri tornado on June 8, 2025. Photo by Noah Belleville

Spring is the most active season for tornadoes in the United States, but this year has been more active than average. So far, there have been over 870 tornadoes across the country. On average, 650 tornadoes hit the country into the beginning of June. Here is the average number or tornadoes broken down by month.

The tornadoes in 2025 have been most prevalent east of the typical “tornado alley” region, which is in the plains. This year, tornadoes have been focused in the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys.

Tornadoes this year have shifted 400 to 600 miles east of the “typical” tornado alley.

Will this continue to be a trend due to climate change? Time will tell over the next several years. In the meantime, thunderstorms will continue into the summer and so does the risk for severe weather.

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Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.