An apparent tornado touched down in New Hampshire near Keene just before 3 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency said a tornado was located in the town of Roxbury at 2:58 p.m., moving east at 30 mph, producing flying debris and hail and concern about flash flooding on already saturated ground.
“To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. Take cover now!” the weather service cautioned in a text advisory sent at the time. “Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.”
A severe thunderstorm watch has been in effect for Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire.
It won’t be clear whether an actual tornado touched down until the service conducts a storm survey on Friday. Part of that survey will be examining the direction that trees have blown down. If they’re in a line the storm was not a tornado because the twisting funnel of a tornado causes trees to be downed in a splayed fashion.
Tornadoes are rare in New Hampshire. Seldom are more than two reported in a year and almost always they are the lowest category of storm, known as EF1 or EF2 on a five-point scale.
The biggest on record passed through the Concord area 15 years ago, on July 24, 2008. It set a record for New England by creating a 50-mile path of destruction.
Tornadoes, a type of twisting storm with funnels that reach the ground, are most common here when warm air comes up from the south, creating a strong shear in which winds change direction as you go up in altitude.
