Those slow moving storms packed a punch this afternoon! There was a report of lightning starting a house fire in Merrimac, MA and several reports of dime-sized to pea-sized hail! The real problem with the storms was the fact that they were (and still are) slow moving – which kept the rain pumping over a single area long enough to cause flooding. The two weather sayings I will always repeat in situations like these: 1) "When thunder roars, go indoors!" and 2) "Turn Around, Don't Drown." The first has to do with lightning, which can travel between 10-15 miles from a storm (yes, a "bolt from the blue" is a real thing)! The second saying has to do with flooding issues. You should NEVER attempt to drive through standing water.
Now – I did see a comment on Facebook today complaining about the lack of weather updates on the 7News Facebook page. I have to say, it is VERY difficult to get out the necessary weather updates on Facebook. Personally, I think Facebook STINKS at this. The way the "Facebook Feed" works is really not conducive to posting up-to-the-minute weather warnings – mostly because you may not see it until days later! How many times have you come across a Facebook post at the top of your "feed" that is from two/three weeks ago?! Happens ALL of the time! So – with that said, I will continue to heavily rely on the up-to-the-minute feed on TWITTER to keep you up-to-the-minute during nights like tonight. You can follow all of us from the weather department: @petebouchard, @jreineron7, @clamberton7 and @BriEggers.
I also saw a tweet tonight that I had to silently respond to with a crooked smile: "It's always the days the SPC isn't worried about us that stuff hits the fan." Amen.
Also, we need to talk about the heat. Boston did make it to 91° today (briefly) which could be the start of a heat wave! All it takes is 3 consecutive days at 90°+ for BOS to make it an official "Heat Wave." We'll make a good run at it… If not tomorrow, Mon-Wednesday could get the job done.
Monday looks to be the hottest day of the week, with low to mid 90s for most. If dewpoints are also above 70° (oppressive humidity) then our "real feel" will be between 99-105°. The other issue is, we don't get a lot of relief from the heat during the nighttime hours either (lows in the low 70s). Remember to check on your neighbors and the elderly this week.
How do you beat the heat? If you can't answer that question now, I'm sure you'll come up with something soon out of necessity! I've read that some cultures eat spicy foods, to increase sweating. I've also read that it can help to get a bed-sheet wet and hang it in an open window (trying to take advantage of the cooling process of evaporation). I also imagine the beach will be poppin' through the next week. That's my plan, at least!
Heat + Humidity = Summertime Storms. While it looks dry for Sunday, we will have a chance of showers and storms almost each day this week. So, if you're plans will be taking you outdoors, keep an eye on the forecast! Have a great weekend, and remember: We're always there for you on TWITTER. – Breezy