Storms Likely to Cause Flash Flooding Today

Flash flood watch in effect for southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island

With warm, very humid air in place on Tuesday, it was no surprise to see a few storms fire up during the afternoon. Severe weather was limited, but the storms packed a punch, mostly in the form of heavy rain. Wednesday’s storms will look very similar, but they will be more widespread than Tuesday.

Already, Flash Flood Watches are in effect for portions of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

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A cold front moving into New England will be the trigger for the storms. It will move in from northwest to southeast, meaning the action starts earliest in Northern New England. Across much of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, expect showers, downpours, and even some embedded thunderstorms to fire up during the pre-dawn and early morning hours. Although the day will begin damp and dreary, sunshine will develop by afternoon, and the air will become a little less humid.

In Southern New England, the day will begin dry, but storm chances increase as the front approaches. In Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, the best chance of a shower, downpour, or thunderstorm will come during the late morning and afternoon hours. Because the wet weather takes longer to arrive here, it will end up being another hot and very soupy day.

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This is a typical summer set-up in that not every town will see a downpour. But those that do will face the risk of some localized flooding because the rain will fall so heavily in such a short period of time. A quick 1-3" will be possible where it rains. The greatest risk of seeing flooding will be in urban areas where the dew points (or measure of humidity in the air) are highest. On Wednesday that will be in Boston, Southeastern Massachusetts, and most of Rhode Island. Remember, it is never safe to drive through a water covered roadway. It’s often impossible to know how deep the water is, or if the road has been washed out.

Of course, lightning is also dangerous, and thunderstorms also bring the risk of some wind damage, but in this case heavy rain will be the biggest hazard.

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