Three tornadoes touched down in Massachusetts on Monday, the National Weather Service has confirmed, as Henri worked its way through the region.
The three tornadoes were all small and brief, and didn't cause much damage, according to an early report from the National Weather Service. They touched down in Marlboro, Bolton and Stow, respectively.
All three were rated EF-0 — the weakest on the tornado strength scale -- with wind speeds between 60 and 70 mph.
The remnants of tropical storm Henri rolled back over us overnight and the storm system is now sailing to the east. The skies will clear gradually throughout the day Tuesday.
"A small, brief tornado touched down just west of I-495 near the Marlborough Water Treatment Center, went over a business park and traveled northwest a short distance before dissipating just north of Cedar Hill Street," the National Weather Service said of the first tornado. "Several eyewitnesses reported seeing tree branches lofted into the air."
The small tornado traveled three-quarters of a mile and was only 10 yards across. It did cause a tree to land on two cars on Cedar Hill Street.
A waterspout was also confirmed on Sunset Lake in Ashburnham, the National Weather Service said, explaining that it does not qualify as a tornado if it does not cause damage on land, leaving the tally at three.
Witnesses in Marlborough captured a funnel cloud on near I-495 on video just before noon – right about the time the NWS confirmed a tornado.
The National Weather Service said it traveled for less than a mile and took down a tree that landed on two cars on Cedar Hill Street.
Moments later, a Bolton police dashcam recorded another funnel cloud and the police chief captured video footage of the tornado moving north toward Route 117. The National Weather Service reported a few trees were damaged there, too.
One viewer shared her drone video with NBC10 Boston, showing a third funnel cloud in the city of Stow.
The National Weather Service blamed a tornado for the downing of a tall tree near the Stow Police Department, which luckily missed oncoming traffic, landing across Route 117. The road was temporarily closed.
The tornado touched down in Stow and Bolton for a distance equivalent to just under two football fields and were the width of half a football field. Several trees came down.
The day's first tornado warning was issued around 11:30 a.m., followed by a second less than an hour later. The second tornado warning expired shortly after 1 p.m.
The tornado warnings came as Henri moved back eastward across southern New England as a remnant swirl of tropical energy generating torrential downpours and localized renewed flooding.
No injuries were reported.
