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Thunderstorms begin to roll across Mass.

E-mail|Link|Comments () July 3, 2009 04:07 PM

By Globe Staff

Had enough sun? Too bad. Here come the thunderstorms.

Cloudbursts are now rolling across the central portion of the state. The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for portions of Worcester, Middlesex, and Norfolk counties.

The storm, according to the forecasters' Doppler radar, is capable of producing penny-sized hail and damaging winds in excess of 60 miles per hour.

The National Weather Service said earlier today that the state would see some sunshine today, but there was still a threat of showers and thunderstorms that could dump one to two inches of rain in a brief period of time.

"It's going to be a pop-up thing. Hit or miss. Who knows where they are going to form?" said meteorologist Charlie Foley.

The Weather Service issued a flash flood watch effective from noon today through 8 p.m. With the ground already saturated with water from the rains of the past few days, any additional precipitation could cause flooding in urban and poor drainage areas, forecasters said.

For the Fourth of July, there will be more sunshine and temperatures in the 80s in Eastern Massachusetts as the weather gradually improves. But there will still be a threat of showers and thunderstorms, Foley said.

The warm-up will be welcome for those looking for some signs of summer over the holiday weekend. How chilly has it been recently? The high temperature of 62 degrees recorded Thursday at Worcester Airport tied for the coldest high since 1892, the Weather Service said.