Hail up to 1.25 inches in diameter covered the ground in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday evening as a severe thunderstorm rumbled through the town. Strong winds tore a hole in the roof of a local community theater. Photo courtesy of AccuWeather.com Facebook fan Michael G.

Rounds of severe thunderstorms will erupt along the northern rim of heat expanding across the Plains, the Midwest and the Southeast through early this week.

A bubble of 90-degree heat will expand its grip as far north as Kansas and through Georgia on Monday, while a large dome of high pressure dominates over the Gulf of Mexico. Highs will soar into the 100s in West Texas.

Very warm and humid southwesterly flow from the Gulf will send 90-degree warmth to St. Louis and Atlanta on Tuesday.

A series of storm systems will ride the perimeter of heat through early this week, providing a trigger for the thunderstorms. The hot and muggy air will act as the fuel.

Eastern Wyoming, the western Nebraska panhandle and western South Dakota will be the battle grounds for severe storms on Monday afternoon as one of these storm systems ejects eastward into the northern Plains.

Hail the size of golf balls and perhaps larger, localized wind gusts of more than 60 mph, and tornadoes are the threats of the storms.

Overnight, the thunderstorms may gather into a dangerous complex of thunderstorms that spreads eastward across South Dakota and northern Nebraska.

On top of the other threats, flash flooding may become a bigger concern as the storms progress eastward at night, unleashing blinding downpours.

Cities and towns that may be in harm’s way include: Rapid City, S.D., Pierre, S.D., and Valentine, Neb.

A few thunderstorms rattling communities farther east across eastern Iowa and Illinois on Monday may also be capable of producing high winds and hail. Isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

It is not out of the question that a few of the thunderstorms in South Carolina and Georgia turn strong during the afternoon hours on Monday, but these thunderstorms are expected to be isolated. The primary threat in this region will be damaging wind gusts over 50 mph. Brief hail can also occur for a time.

There will be a growing concern for severe weather in the Southeast on Tuesday as a more potent storm crosses the area. Eastern Kentucky through eastern Georgia and South Carolina will be at risk. Charlotte, N.C., and Augusta, Ga., may lie in the path of these storms.

Fortunately, Alabama and surrounding states that were pummeled by deadly tornadoes late in April will be spared the severe weather due to the proximity of the area of high pressure.

Keep checking back with AccuWeather.com for the latest on the severe storm situation.