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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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A record-setting wind gust swept across West Texas this week, registering 111 mph at the Midland International Air and Space Port—eclipsing the previous local record by nearly 20 mph. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed the gust was caused by a rare meteorological event known as a "virga bomb," producing wind speeds equivalent to a low-end Category 3 hurricane.
Why It Matters
This unprecedented gust not only set a new wind record for Midland but also caused significant property damage. The event occurred amidst a broader pattern of severe spring storms across the region, further intensifying scrutiny of the season's extreme weather trends.
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What to Know
Earlier this week, meteorologists warned of incoming storms with the potential to cause damaging winds and large hail across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. AccuWeather warned of the potential for "significant" property damage in its forecast on Tuesday.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, the 111-mph wind gust was measured around 7:04 p.m. Tuesday near Midland International Airport. The phenomenon behind it, a virga bomb, occurs when heavy rainfall from a thunderstorm evaporates before hitting the ground. This evaporation cools the air rapidly, causing it to plunge downward at extreme speeds.
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According to a post shared to X, formerly Twitter, by the NWS office in Midland, the previous wind speed record for the airport was 93 mph, set in June 2007. The other top record-setting winds occurred with an 82 mph gust in July 1987 and an 82 mph gust in September 1985.
The impact was immediate and severe. Six utility poles were snapped near the University of Texas-Permian Basin campus, resulting in power outages and electrical flashes. A semi-truck was overturned, and roofs were torn off in neighborhoods across Midland and Odessa. Footage shared with local media showed clouds of dust and debris, with metallic roofing displaced into residential yards.
The Fox Weather team noted that the same weather system affected a large swath of West Texas, with widespread hail—some the size of baseballs—and flash flooding.
Strong winds are not uncommon in West Texas during severe thunderstorms, but typically the gusts measure around 70 mph, making the recent storm an anomaly.
With the springtime storm season, severe storms often develop in the afternoon and peak in the evening hours before diminishing after dark, NWS meteorologist Cody Lindsey told Newsweek.
What People Are Saying
Lindsey, who works at the Midland office, told Newsweek: "Most thunderstorms, we warn for 58 mph [winds] or greater. A lot of thunderstorms will produce between 60 and 70, but some of the most intense thunderstorms that develop can produce 80 or greater."
NWS Midland posted on X: "Record wind gust set at Midland Intl Air and Space Port! Look for another graphic explaining virga bombs and how this gust occurred. This will likely be posted this weekend when we get a break from the severe weather."
What Happens Next
Meteorologists are closely monitoring continued storm activity across the Southern Plains. A Hazardous Weather Outlook from the NWS office in Lubbock, Texas, warns of further storms slightly north of the record-setting gust, with additional threats of damaging winds and hail in the coming days.
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