Severe Thunderstorm Watch for New England area

Unusual severe weather for a healthy portion of northern New England this afternoon as a Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for northeast New York, northern 2/3 of Vermont, and most of Maine.  This covers Newport Vermont where I frequently visit a friend of mine. Very unusual indeed!

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 515
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1215 PM EDT FRI JUN 26 2009

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

MUCH OF MAINE
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE
NORTHEAST NEW YORK
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VERMONT

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1215 PM UNTIL
700 PM EDT.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 75
STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF SARANAC LAKE NEW YORK TO 5 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF HOULTON
MAINE.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED
WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

REMEMBER…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

DISCUSSION…CLUSTERS OF STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ACROSS THE WATCH AREA AS
UPPER SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  POCKETS OF HEATING
AND RATHER COOL TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL PROMOTE A RISK OF HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN STRONGER CELLS.

AVIATION…A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 27025.

…HART