Severe Storms Friday In MA: Isolated Tornadoes, Hail, Heavy Rain

WORCESTER, MA — Severe thunderstorms may be on tap for a large portion of Massachusetts on Friday afternoon.

The National Weather Service is warning of storms with damaging winds, heavy rain, possible hail, lighting — and an isolated thunderstorm. The storms may hit between noon and 10 p.m., according to the forecast.

"There is a risk for scattered strong to severe t-storms Friday afternoon and evening. Damaging straight line wind gusts are the primary threat. Large hail and localized urban and poor drainage flooding are also possible. The greatest risk is across northern Connecticut and interior Massachusetts," the weather service said Thursday morning.

A map released by the weather service shows almost every part of the state west of I-495 at "slight" risk of severe storms, plus parts of northern Middlesex and Essex counties.

But forecasts for the rest of the state show the potential for bad storms elsewhere. According to AccuWeather, the Boston area could see a "heavy t-storm" during the afternoon hours. The same goes for Cape Cod.

It's been a stormy week across southern New England, with rainstorms earlier this week that dumped more than 7 inches of rain on one Massachusetts town.