Severe storms and large hail possible today in CT
After another day of extreme temperatures and high humidity from this week’s heat wave, parts of Connecticut are under a severe thunderstorm through Friday evening, the National Weather Service said.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Fairfield and New Haven counties until 11 p.m. Friday. Meteorologists warned of hailstones that could be as large as ping-pong balls, scattered wind gusts of up to 65 miles per hour, and the possibility of frequent lightning.
Around midday Friday, the weather service said He said there will be a slight risk of severe thunderstorms For the northern and western parts of the state. These storms are expected to continue into the late afternoon and early evening.
Heat warnings remain in effect through Friday night for most of Connecticut except Litchfield County and part of the southeast coast.
Gov. Ned Lamont earlier this week extended the state’s extreme hot weather protocol through Friday, after initially activating the protocol through Thursday evening. This measure allows state and local officials to coordinate information about cooling centers through United Way 211. A list of available cooling centers is available on the United Way website.
Several Connecticut schools announced they will again conduct early dismissal on Friday amid the high temperatures. Some students and teachers said the conditions could make it difficult to concentrate.
Friday is expected to see partly sunny to mostly cloudy skies, with temperatures ranging from the low 80s in the Southeast to around 90 in other parts of the state. Heat index values, a measure that combines air temperature and humidity level, are still expected to reach 95 in some parts of north-central and northeastern Connecticut, including the Hartford area.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop Friday afternoon, with storm chances increasing in the western part of the state.
“The primary threat is damaging wind gusts, with isolated large hail also possible,” the weather service said in a bulletin for Litchfield County.
Storms are also possible Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the afternoon and evening hours each day, the weather service said. The Meteorological Authority said that these storms may bring heavy rains, and may lead to local flooding.
Friday won’t be as hot as recent days when new record high temperatures were set in parts of Connecticut.
In Bridgeport, the temperature on Thursday reached 93 degrees, setting a new daily record. The temperature in Hartford reached 95 degrees on Thursday, surpassing the previous daily record of 93 degrees set in 2007 and 2015, the weather service said.
