Tornado Watch: NYC, Philly, Boston Included in Alert

A system of strong storms is headed straight for the northeastern United States, prompting a National Weather Service alert for a tornado watch for a wide area until 8 p.m. Eastern Time tonight.

The tornado watch extends from New Jersey to Maine, and it includes the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, as well as Newark, Hartford and Providence.

Here is the alert from the National Weather Service:

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CONNECTICUT MASSACHUSETTS WESTERN MAINE NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY SOUTHEAST NEW YORK SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA RHODE ISLAND COASTAL WATERS EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 100 PM UNTIL 800 PM EDT. TORNADOES…HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

The last few months have seen a high level of tornado activity. It’s already been the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950. There were more than 600 confirmed tornadoes in April alone.