New England faces severe thunderstorms, region's weather 'stuck in cycle'

Parts of New England are facing severe thunderstorms Sunday, marking the second time in a week that summer storms have impacted the Northeast .

The National Weather Service placed a swath of the region under a thunderstorm watch until 7 p.m. ET and has put counties in Massachusetts and Rhode Island under thunderstorm warnings.

The region has seen wild swings in weather, facing heat and storms throughout the week.

""The Northeast will be stuck in a cycle where it is delightfully cool for two days or so, then hot and humid for two days and repeat," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said on the forecaster's website Sunday. "In between, during the transitions, there will be showers and thunderstorms with severe weather in some locations."

The cycle should ease into the Fourth of July holiday, giving the region standard summer weather on Thursday.

"At this time, it appears weather conditions will be fairly typical for July 4th in the Northeast with some sunshine and hot and rather humid conditions," Dombek said. "The extent of afternoon and evening thunderstorm activity has yet to be determined this far out."

Here's where the NWS has issued Thunderstorm watches and warnings.

Map: Massachusetts, New England weather watches and warnings

Thunderstorm watch vs. warning

The NWS advises that those under thunderstorm watches be prepared and ready to act if a warning is issued for their area. The watches often cover wide areas and regions.

Thunderstorm warnings cover smaller areas and indicate and immediate danger to life and property. People in an area where a thunderstorm warning has been issued should remove themselves from unsound buildings and find substantial shelter, according to the NWS.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New England faces severe thunderstorms, region's weather 'stuck in cycle'