20K Lose Power In Worcester During Evening Thunderstorms

WORCESTER, MA — Almost 20,000 National Grid customers lost power Tuesday evening in Worcester as thunderstorms pushed across the city.

Thunder began rumbling in Worcester around 3 p.m., but stronger storms brought lightning and heavy rain beginning around 5 p.m.

By 6 p.m., about a quarter of National Grid customers in Worcester had lost power, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. There were also about 600 outages in Leicester, and close to 1,000 in Auburn.

"Please use caution while driving as many streetlights are out due to a power outage in the city," the city of Worcester tweeted around 6 p.m.

Rainstorms were predicted to continue into Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.