Severe thunderstorms in weather forecast Friday. These maps show the biggest risks in Massachusetts

BOSTON – Severe thunderstorms are in the forecast across Massachusetts Friday afternoon and evening, so the WBZ-TV Weather Team has issued a NEXT Weather Alert.

When does the rain start?

A line of downpours and thunderstorms will arrive in western Massachusetts around or just after noon on Friday. It will move slowly eastward, likely reaching central Massachusetts around 4 p.m.

Most of the action during the evening commute (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.) will be to the north and west of Boston. This is also the window of time with the greatest risk of thunderstorms reaching severe levels.

Therefore, the Storms Prediction Center has placed areas north and west in a “marginal” risk for severe weather on Friday.

When does the rain end?

After sunset, the storms will tend to drift slowly eastward, closer to the coastline. It is expected that the atmosphere will be more stable in eastern Massachusetts Friday night, so we anticipate a weakening trend for the line of storms.

Overnight, the cold front will slow to a crawl and some clouds and showers will linger over portions of eastern Massachusetts. Saturday may start out a bit murky with a few final showers hugging the coastline, particularly over southeastern Massachusetts.

Flood risk

This does not appear to be a high-end severe weather outbreak for New England.  Main impacts will be localized flooding (mainly north and west of Boston) and some damaging wind gusts underneath the stronger cells.

Father’s Day weather forecast

Once the showers clear the coast Saturday morning, we will be home-free.

The rest of the weekend looks fantastic! Father’s Day will feature lots of sunshine, dry air and highs in the 70s, perfect for golf, barbeques or whatever you may have planned for Dad.