A major coastal storm headed towards southern New England is expected to hit the Vineyard with strong winds Tuesday and Wednesday, raising the risk of power outages.

Temperatures may reach as low as zero degrees Saturday and winds may reach up to 45 miles per hour.

Christmas came early for storm-chasers this year, as a major storm forecast to bring 65 mph wind gusts and heavy rain approaches New England ahead of the holiday weekend.

Wild weather in southern New England Saturday night brought heavy wind gusts to the Vineyard and three confirmed tornadoes in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

A statewide drought that has affected Martha’s Vineyard since last summer was declared at an end this month by the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force.

Torrential thunderstorms pelted Martha’s Vineyard Monday morning, bringing a deluge of rainfall, lightning, a tornado warning and a possible funnel cloud off Aquinnah.

After two brush fires scorched acres of land in Oak Bluffs and West Tisbury this week, state and local fire officials are on particularly high alert.

In one of the hottest, driest summers in recent memory, critical drought conditions were declared late Thursday for all seven regions in the state, including Martha’s Vineyard.

The towns of West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah are opening a single cooling shelter at the West Tisbury Library today and tomorrow.