Southern New England Severe Weather Preparedness Week: Monday

May 1, 2017 5:03 pm

By: Tim Studebaker

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – So far, our area has had a pretty tame spring, weather–wise, but the National Weather Service wants people to be prepared for the worst in the event the weather takes a severe turn.

Spring is a season of severe weather across large parts of the country. So, what qualifies weather as "severe," and what should you do if a warning is issued for your town? Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Southern New England aims to answer those questions.

The topic for today: severe thunderstorms.

What makes a severe thunderstorm different from any other thunderstorm? There are two factors: wind and hail.

Any thunderstorm causes lightning and could cause flooding, but severe thunderstorms produce damaging wind gusts of 58 miles per hour or more and/or large hail of one inch or more. That’s the size of a quarter. This is also the type of storm that could go on to produce a tornado.

Next, you’ve heard the terms "watch" and "warning," but what’s the difference?

A watch is issued for the increased *potential* for severe weather in a certain time frame, usually for a larger region. It tells you to be on the alert and have a plan.

A warning means severe weather is a more immediate threat, happening now or expected very soon, and is usually more localized. That’s your cue to seek shelter right away.

When severe weather strikes, the ABC6 StormTracker team of meteorologists has you covered on air, online at abc6.com, and on social media. Follow ABC6 and our StormTracker team on Facebook and Twitter so you can receive our updates.

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