Tornado warning lifted for Cape Cod but severe thunderstorms expected for Massachusetts

Tornadoes are rare in New England, but they have been fatal

Cape Cod, Massachusetts (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The National Weather Service has ended a tornado warning it issued on Monday morning, but severe weather continues for parts of Massachusetts.

Barnstable and Duke County, representing Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, faced a thread of a tornado as part of a series of severe thunderstorms around the eastern coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Residents saw a waterspout off of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and experienced winds of 65 miles per hour, the Boston Globe reported.

Rainstorms and winds in Massachusetts and Rhode Island slowed traffic but did not result in any reported serious damage, NECN.com reported. As of Monday evening, the National Weather Service has not issued any advisories or warnings for either Rhode Island or Massachusetts.

Tornados are comparatively rare in New England, and when they do occur, they tend to be weak and short-lived. They peak around the summer months, and the last one to touch down in Massachusetts and Connecticut was in August.

However, tornadoes have caused economic destruction and deaths in the area before. In 2011, Massachusetts residents were shocked at a tornado that ripped off roofs, knocked over power lines and trees, and killed three people.

Climate change has been linked to more frequent, stronger storms, as well as other severe weather. It also brings about some seemingly milder weather, like warmer winters. However the data linking climate change to tornadoes is currently unclear.