Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes could disrupt travel and afternoon activity across eastern and central Pennsylvania Monday as a Tornado Watch remains in effect until 7 p.m.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, Tornado Watch 68 includes 26 Pennsylvania counties, stretching from the Philadelphia metro west through Lancaster, York, Harrisburg and north into the Lehigh Valley and Pocono region. Counties under the watch include Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, York, Dauphin, Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon and Monroe among others.
The alert places heavily traveled routes such as I-95, I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway), I-78, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-81 near Harrisburg within the potential storm zone. Strong cells developing this afternoon could produce damaging wind gusts, brief tornadoes and intense rainfall that drops visibility to dangerous levels for drivers.
Cities including Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading, Lancaster, York and Harrisburg could see rapidly changing conditions as storms push east across the state during the afternoon and early evening.
Residents should keep phones charged and weather alerts enabled as tornado warnings can be issued with little lead time. The safest shelter during a warning is an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows.
The tornado watch remains active through 7 p.m. Monday, with additional warnings possible as storms move across eastern Pennsylvania later today.
