It was quite the wake up call this morning in RI and southeastern MA as a line of showers and thunderstorms pushed into our area between 4:30-6:30am.  The storms dumped a quick 1/4″ to 1/2″ of rain in about 15min  from Smithfield and Providence into New Bedford, MA and brought frequent lightning and gusty winds, too.  The storms quickly moved through, setting our area up for a hazy hot and humid day.

Rain Since Midnight

The combination of the high heat, high humidity and an approaching cold front will make southern New England a prime spot for additional showers and thunderstorms to develop from right after lunch through early evening.  The storms should be hit-or-miss, so not everyone see’s one.   However, any storms that do develop could be strong or severe.  The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma has placed RI and southeastern MA under a “slight risk” for severe thunderstorms, with the main threat being damaging wind gusts (50mph+) and large hail (1″ diameter or more).

Severe T’Storm Risk

Severe Wind (>50kt) Potential

Severe Hail (>1″) Potential

The threat of seeing any thunderstorms will quickly diminish after 8pm as a cold front sweeps through, skies clear and humidity levels will drop, giving us more comfortable sleeping conditions for tonight.