Hurricane, Thunderstorm Threat Postpones Scores of Fireworks Shows

The threat of thunderstorms and an approaching hurricane have both postponed and rescheduled scores of Fourth of July celebrations and fireworks.

Tropical Storm Arthur had sustained winds of 60 miles per hour on Wednesday morning as it sat off the Florida coast. It was forecasted to become a hurricane as soon as Thursday with sustained winds of 83 mph as it moved up the Atlantic coast. The good news is that forecasters predict the storm will miss New England and be more than 100 miles off the coast on Friday.

"The exact nature of Arthur's impact on Massachusetts will depend heavily on the storm's track; the current forecast track will bring up to 2.5 inches of rain to southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands, but a more northerly track would bring heavy rain further inland," the Massachusetts Emergency Management Authority said in a press release.

High seas and rip current could be felt at the beach, especially southeast facing beaches, MEMA said.

In addition, forecasters say that there is a significant chance of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon and evening – the Fourth of July. Those storms, which are most likely after 3 p.m., could also include small hail, gusty winds and heavy rain, according to the National Weather Service.

The fireworks display in Danvers – the largest on the North Shore – typically happens on July 3 but has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 5 at Plains Park.

In North Reading, the fireworks display was moved from July 4 to Saturday, July 5 at Ipswich River Park.

Elsewhere, Marblehead rescheduled its fireworks display from July 4 to July 5 and the Lynn and Swampscott fireworks were also moved from July 4 to Sunday, July 6.