A line of severe storms pushed through New England Today, triggering tornado watches across a wide swath of the region and prompting severe thunderstorm warnings in multiple counties across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The National Weather Service expanded an earlier watch that had been limited to Berkshire County out to cover Essex, Hampshire, Franklin, Middlesex, Hampden, and Worcester counties in Massachusetts. All of New Hampshire and Maine are also under a tornado watch, with the watch in effect until 7 p.m.
The threat is not limited to tornadoes. The National Weather Service warned residents in the affected areas to prepare for the possibility of half-inch-sized hail and scattered wind gusts reaching up to 80 mph. A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for Middlesex and Worcester counties in Massachusetts, and a separate warning covered southeastern Grafton County and Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Rockingham counties in New Hampshire.
What is driving the severe weather
Today’s storms represent the second act of a weather pattern that started with a steadier rain and embedded thunder moving through the region in the morning. The afternoon brought a more organized line of severe storms pushing across the area, with the strongest cells capable of producing damaging wind gusts and torrential downpours.
An isolated threat of localized flash flooding exists, particularly in northern areas that have seen elevated rainfall recently. Residents in low-lying areas and near small streams should monitor conditions closely and avoid unnecessary travel during active warnings…