Severe Storms Move Out of Massachusetts

For most of the day Tuesday, much of the state of Massachusetts was under a severe thunderstorm watch, starting in the early afternoon hours. That thunderstorm watch was later upgraded to a tornado watch.

Parts of the state, including Norfolk County, were under a tornado warning for nearly an hour before it was called off around 7 p.m. A tornado watch remained in effect for the majority of the state through 11 p.m.

The chances for severe thunderstorms to spawn tornadoes was increased due to favorable atmospheric conditions, forecasters said.

Heavy downpours, winds with gusts up to 70 miles per hour and frequent lightning plagued the area before a second round of storms rolled through later. Such conditions prompted the ensuing tornado watch and warnings.

The severity of the storms was dependent upon the amount of heating that occurred after an initial first round of storms moved through during the earlier afternoon.

A second round of storms brought damaging winds with gusts that reached 70 mph, frequent cloud to ground lightning, large hail, periods of localized flooding and a many documented funnel clouds.

Temperatures are expected to reach a high in the low 80s Wednesday with mostly sunny skies.

Click here for a look at Charlestown’s extended weather forecast.