The same system that sparked Saturday’s deadly tornado outbreak in the Midwest is moving across the Northeast today. Fast-moving thunderstorms developing ahead of this system will remain capable of producing damaging winds and could also spawn a few tornadoes through the afternoon.

Areas along the Interstate 95 corridor, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Providence, Boston and Portland, Maine, are all at risk. People in the path of these thunderstorms should be ready to seek shelter immediately if a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning is issued.

Remember, a tornado watch means conditions are right for tornadoes to develop and you should stay on alert. A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or detected in your local area and you need to take action immediately.

As tragically evidenced in Saturday’s outbreak in the Midwest, tornadoes can be deadly. Several people were killed as tornadoes ripped through northern Ohio Saturday night.

As of mid-afternoon, there had not been any tornadoes reported in the Northeast. It appears the window of opportunity for tornadoes to break out may be waning. The most likely area for a tornado to develop the rest of the day is southern New England.

Damaging winds, however, have been and will continue to be a major threat through the early evening.

Thunderstorms that blasted through Upstate New York, northern Pennsylvania and western New England Sunday morning and early afternoon took down trees and tree limbs.

More damage like this will be possible in areas farther south and east through the rest of the afternoon. Trees and power lines could even be downed onto homes and vehicles, threatening the lives of any occupants.

These strong winds could also overturn semi trailers and leave roadways littered with debris.

If a severe thunderstorm warning is issued for your local area, that means thunderstorms moving through could cause significant wind damage. As with a tornado warning, you should seek shelter right away.

Even thunderstorms that do not become severe will be capable of producing dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning and downpours that could cause localized flash flooding or significantly reduce visibility for motorists.

Remember never to drive across a roadway covered with water, as doing so can put your life at risk. People who must travel this afternoon are urged to use caution and take it slow.

It’s been a cold front slicing into warm, humid air in place across the Midwest and Northeast that has been sparking the severe weather this weekend.

This front is expected to push offshore of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic by early this evening, ending the threat for severe weather and ushering refreshingly cooler, less humid air into the Eastern Seaboard for the start of the week.

(Source: AccuWeather)