Tornado Watch Issued In MA; Funnel Clouds Reported In NY, NH

MASSACHUSETTS — Massachusetts' tornado watch Sunday did not materialize into any local warnings, although it was a different story for neighboring states.

A funnel cloud was reported shortly after 4 p.m. in Johnson County, New York, and another was seen just before 6 p.m. heading north on Interstate 93 in Manchester, New Hampshire, according to the National Weather Service.

The service's X account for Boston had posted earlier in the day that Sunday had "the potential to be a high-end severe weather event for parts of western-central Massachusetts."

According to NBC Boston meteorologist Sydney Welch, tornado risk Sunday was the greatest New England had seen in six years.

A tornado watch was issued from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. for Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex and Worcester counties. Also included in the watch were parts of Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. The watch was later updated to include parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The weather service had warned of a few tornadoes, possible ping-pong ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph.

Although neighboring states of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut all saw tornado warnings in more targeted areas, there were none in Massachusetts.

"Still could have some strong/severe storms across southern New England this evening," the weather service posted on its Boston X account shortly before the tornado watch expired. "Risk highest mainly across portions of CT, into RI through roughly 11 PM where strong/damaging winds possible."

In the immediate Boston area, there was a chance Sunday of showers in the morning, evening and overnight, when thunderstorms are also possible. Monday is forecast to be mostly sunny with no precipitation.