Severe thunderstorms expected across the area late Monday afternoon

Hazardous weather starts out the workweek Monday with what forecasters are calling an “enhanced” risk for severe thunderstorms late in the day into evening.

Rainfall, however, will not be the culprit for any damage, the National Weather Service in Wakefield said Sunday. The primary threat will be winds that will accompany the storms, which are expected to begin around 4 p.m. High winds can damage trees and buildings, and cause electrical service to be disrupted.

Monday should dawn as a typical early August day in the area with early morning temperatures in the lower 70s. As the day wears on, those temperatures will climb into the low 90s with the heat index giving the day a “real feel” of 101 degrees.

Most of the severe weather is expected in the late afternoon as a cold front begins to march across the area. Showers and storms will be scattered until 11 p.m. and become more isolated after that.

On its scale of 1-5 with 1 being the least, NWS puts the risk of harsh weather Monday afternoon at 3, which is “enhanced.” NWS defines “enhanced,” also known as “orange,” as “an area of greater severe storm coverage with varying levels of intensity.”

Tuesday will be dry and sunny with highs around 90, but winds will still be around and gusting as much as 25 mph, NWS predicts.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Severe thunderstorms expected across the area late Monday afternoon