A flash flood warning is in effect until 9 a.m. for Boston and several communities south of the city, including Brockton, Quincy, and Randolph, officials said Thursday morning. The National Weather Service also issued a flood watch that will remain in effect until 4 p.m. for Rhode Island and eastern portions of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

A "considerable" flash flood warning has been issued in Boston as heavy, life-threatening rain pounds the city and areas to the south. Two to 4 inches of rain has fallen so far. Rainfall rates are reaching up to 2 inches per hour.

I-93 was essentially a river Thursday morning as torrential downpours dumped up to six inches of rain across eastern Massachusetts. As you probably heard from your phone's alert system screaming at you,