UPDATE from T.J. Del Santo: “The weather event from East Providence to Swansea and Somerset is not being labeled as a tornado. No damage was found (I went there myself). Instead, the National Weather Service is labeling it as a ‘gustnado’ unless some damage is found.”

It was a weird weather day yesterday here on the SouthCoast. Much of the day featured cloud cover, but the weather got dicey late last night in Rhode Island and parts of the SouthCoast of Massachusetts, with reports of potential twisters.

Tornado Believed to Strike Swansea, Barrington and Riverside

In Riverside, 12 News Meteorologist TJ DelSanto reported that radar indicated a tornado may have developed and moved across New Meadow Road before heading near Hortonville in Swansea, where it eventually fell apart.

DelSanto said the tornado likely wasn’t very strong, which is why it didn’t last long. However, the National Weather Service is now reviewing the Riverside, Barrington and Swansea areas to determine exactly what occurred.

What About a Fairhaven Tornado

There were also questions about a potential tornado in Fairhaven. A customer in the Fairhaven McDonald’s parking lot reported “torrential downpours” followed by “lights flickering in the parking lot.” Shirley Bates and her daughter believe they saw a funnel forming, but DelSanto says it’s not confirmed.

“I did look at the data out of that area,” said DelSanto. “I think those were some pretty strong straight line winds in New Bedford, Fairhaven and Mattapoisett.” Bottom line? While the winds were strong, DelSanto does not believe an official tornado developed in the New Bedford area.

When Will We Know for Sure

The National Weather Service can sometimes confirm a tornado within hours using radar and ground reports. However, determining the final path, strength and classification may take a day or two.

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