Wednesday’s heat is likely to carry on on Thursday, as Massachusetts braces for a return of rain showers and thunderstorms, the latter of which could bring damaging winds and even a chance for tornadoes to develop.
Overnight conditions should be dry going into Thursday morning, but there is a chance for a rumble of thunder as instability grows before 6 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Cloudiness in the afternoon “will greatly influence both the heat and humidity forecast for Thursday, but also on the potency of potential strong thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon to early evening,” forecasters wrote.
Cloud cover could dissipate, which could then impact how warm Thursday gets, though humidity could still be high, forecasters said. Therefore, an ongoing heat advisory will be in effect until 7 p.m., covering most of the state except for the Berkshires and the Cape and Islands. Heat in Eastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island could be the strongest late in the day.
Daytime highs could be in the low 90s, with heat indices likely leaving temperatures feeling like over 100 degrees, forecasters said in a post on X. Boston could reach 92 degrees, but feel like anywhere between 95 and 100 degrees. Similar conditions should be felt across the state, including in Worcester and Springfield.
But clouds could reform later in the day and lead to widely scattered thunderstorms, which could come no sooner than 4 p.m. but more likely after 6 p.m., forecasters said. These storms should start in the Berkshires and move eastward, not reaching Central Massachusetts until between 8 and 10 p.m. After this, storms are not expected to move any further east.
Should storms develop, Western and Central Massachusetts could also see gusty to damaging winds, along with a small tornado risk. A cold front should pass through during the evening and end any remaining heat and humidity going into Friday.
Clear conditions should be dominant until rain conditions potentially return over the weekend, particularly late Saturday into Sunday, forecasters said. An arriving warm front during this period could produce another round of thunderstorms, showers and a spike in humidity.
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