At least two more rounds of severe storms are expected in Iowa in the coming days, along with the risk for flooding.
Light rain should move out of the state throughout the morning on Sunday, May 17, before a new round of thunderstorms develops Sunday evening.
Two days of storms in Iowa have already brought heavy rain to some areas, hail up to 2 inches in diameter and a possible tornado near Gravity in southwest Iowa.
Here’s a look at rainfall totals and the latest National Weather Service severe weather outlook.
How much rain did we get last night?
Parts of southern Iowa received more than 3 inches of rain on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
Here are the areas that saw the highest rainfall totals in Iowa over a 24-hour period as of 8 a.m. Sunday, May 17, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet and Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow network:
How much rain did Des Moines get?
The airport in Des Moines recorded 0.16 inches of rain as of 8 a.m. Sunday, May 17, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
Other rainfall reports to the CoCoRaHS ranged from 0.24 inches in Clive to 0.18 inches in Windsor Heights.
Ankeny reported 0.13 inches and farther north, Ames reported 0.23 inches.
How much rain have we gotten since Friday?
Nearly all of Iowa has received some rain between Friday, May 15 and Sunday, May 17.
Here are the areas that saw the highest rainfall totals in Iowa over a 48-hour period as of 8 a.m. Sunday, May 17, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet and CoCoRaHS:
Severe thunderstorm risk continues Sunday evening
New thunderstorms are expected to develop in South Dakota on Sunday afternoon and push into western Iowa around 8 p.m. Sunday, May 17. The storms will spread across Iowa into Monday morning.
Western Iowa has an enhanced (level 3 of 5) risk of severe weather. The risk drops to slight (level 2) for much of central Iowa, including Ames and Des Moines.
Tornadoes are possible with the storms, particularly in western Iowa. Much of the state could see damaging winds, with gusts up to 75 mph. Large hail is also possible, with far northwestern Iowa at risk of baseball-sized hail.
Central Iowa at risk of tornadoes on Monday
More storms are likely in Iowa on Monday afternoon and evening.
An area extending from southwest Iowa up to near Mason City is at an enhanced (level 3 of 5) risk for severe weather.
Tornadoes are possible across much of central Iowa, the weather service said. The Des Moines metro has a 10-14% possibility of a tornado. Far southwestern Iowa, around Red Oak, has a 15-29% possibility.
Damaging winds and baseball-sized hail are also possible across much of Iowa on Monday.
Flooding is also possible by Monday, the weather service said. Much of Iowa is at a slight risk for excessive rainfall, which could trigger scattered flash floods and fl
Iowa Doppler radar
Track any incoming storms with the latest Des Moines radar from the National Weather Service:
Are there weather warnings in Iowa?
Check the map below for the latest watches and warnings in Iowa:
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Brian Smith is an audience strategist and senior editor at the Des Moines Register. He oversees breaking, service and trending news, including weather. Contact him at bsmith@dmreg.com or 515-284-8214.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How much rain did Des Moines get? See totals, Sunday storm risk
