BEDFORD, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Officials with the National Weather Service confirmed a microburst and straight line winds were responsible for some of the damage seen across the state Monday.
Following their survey of the Bedford and Concord area, officials said there were multiple microbursts, however the exact location where they hit is unclear. They were working to determine if there were individual microbursts or if there was one microburst that skipped over multiple towns. Officials hoped to determine that as they gathered more information.
According to the NOAA, a microburst is a downdraft, or sinking air, in a thunderstorm that is less than 2.5 miles in scale.
An estimated 50 to 70 trees snapped in the storm Monday, with wind speeds reaching between 90 and 100 mph in Bedford. One house fire was reported in Bedford as a result of the storm. No injuries were reported.
Wind damage was reported in the Berkshires, Northern Worcester County, and the Bedford area. Officials believe the storm was strongest in the areas of Bedford, Concord, and Woburn.
Several residents reported seeing a funnel cloud, but it never touched the ground.
When asked about a recent increase in severe weather activity, the National Weather Service said the activity has actually been low for this point in the year.
"For severe weather, thunderstorms in particular, it's actually been pretty low," one official said. "Going through May and June, we really did not have any severe weather reports at all just a handful. And really in just the past week the pattern has gotten a little more active. We're talking about Hurricane Arthur, yeah that was unusual for early in the season, but not unprecedented."
Residents in several Massachusetts communities were cleaning up Tuesday as they prepared for another batch of storms were expected in the afternoon.
Cox Media Group
