Much of New Hampshire is under a flash flood warning through 6 p.m. Sunday. The affected area spans from Salem and Nashua in the southern part of the state, to Berlin and Bethlehem in the north.
Officials across the state, including in Barnstead, urged people to stay off the roads due to flooding. The weather has also prompted multiple road closures, including in Manchester, Antrim, Hillsborough, Alton, Pittsfield and Madison.
"With all the weather activity today, you are safest indoors," the state emergency management agency said Sunday afternoon. "Avoid driving if you can. If you must go out, never drive through flood waters or past road barriers."
Get the latest traffic alerts from New England 511.
The National Weather Service is forecasting widespread torrential downpours and flooding across New Hampshire throughout the day Sunday, with the heaviest showers ending around midnight.
A flood watch is in effect statewide until early Monday morning.
The entire state, except for Coos County, is also under a tornado watch until 3 p.m. Sunday. As of 12 p.m., no tornados had been confirmed in the state.
Click here for the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
Forecasters say Sunday morning's rain will develop into thunderstorms, growing more intense through the day and tapering off Monday.
The heavy rain of the past week means the ground across the region is already saturated and won't be able to absorb much rainfall, making additional flooding likely.
Learn how to stay safe during a flood with these tips from ReadyNH.gov.
The National Weather Service specifically advises for New Hampshire in the coming day:
- Small streams may become dangerous rivers with flood waters spreading well away from the banks.
- Inundation of roads is likely with additional washouts possible.
- Isolated severe storms are possible with a conditional threat of a storm producing a brief tornado.
The New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon announced Sunday morning that it was cancelling the Crayon 301 NASCAR race and rescheduling for Monday.
Further out, the forecast calls for warm and humid conditions Monday, with another round of possible heavy rain and strong thunderstorms Tuesday.
For more information, check the updated local forecast from the National Weather Service.
