Update, 4:37 p.m.: Police are reporting a tornado over Interstate 91 in Springfield. A woman calling The Republican newsroom said a tornado was seen from the Century Shopping Plaza in West Springfield. The National Weather Service has issued a second tornado warning for the area, covering extreme southeastern Franklin County, east-central Hampden County and southeastern Hampshire. The tornado warning is...
Update, 4:37 p.m.: Police are reporting a tornado over Interstate 91 in Springfield. A woman calling The Republican newsroom said a tornado was seen from the Century Shopping Plaza in West Springfield.
The National Weather Service has issued a second tornado warning for the area, covering extreme southeastern Franklin County, east-central Hampden County and southeastern Hampshire.
The tornado warning is in effect until 4:45 p.m.
There is an unconfirmed report of a tornado on the ground in Westfield. Power in parts of Westfield is out.
The seek shelter system at the University of Massachusetts was activated twice.
Intense lighting was reported over the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton.
We'll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
Here is the warning statement from the National Weather Service:
Tornado WarningTORNADO WARNING
MAC011-013-015-027-012045-
/O.NEW.KBOX.TO.W.0003.110601T2005Z-110601T2045Z/BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
405 PM EDT WED JUN 1 2011THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
WEST CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
EAST CENTRAL HAMPDEN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
SOUTHEASTERN HAMPSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...* UNTIL 445 PM EDT
* AT 359 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR GRANBY...OR
6 MILES SOUTH OF AMHERST...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.* THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL.
* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...BELCHERTOWN...WARE...
HARDWICK...WARREN...WEST BROOKFIELD...NEW BRAINTREE...BROOKFIELD...
NORTH BROOKFIELD...OAKHAM AND EAST BROOKFIELD.WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS A
TORNADO MAY ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
SHORTLY. TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE
OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE
AND CENTRAL RHODE ISLAND.