ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service for a portion of Berks and Lehigh counties expired early Sunday evening.
The warning included Kutztown in Berks County and Breinigsville and Macungie in Lehigh County. It was in effect for about 30 minutes, until 6:45 p.m.
- A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 11 p.m. Sunday for the entire Lehigh Valley
- The forecast is calling for a 60 percent chance of heavy rain
- An earlier outlook warned of the potential for damaging wind gusts
Radar indicated a tornado in the area, according to a weather service statement.
At 6:24 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Kutztown, about 15 miles west of Allentown and moving east at 20 mph.
Here’s the view in Lower Macungie Township. Turbulent/rotating skies but no dropping. @epawawx @NWS_MountHolly pic.twitter.com/2WA5uBAMr5
— Alex Schaaf (@Aschaafwx) July 2, 2023
Weather spotters reported seeing a funnel cloud in the Lenhartsville area of Berks County, according to the warning.
Pottstown, Gilbertsville and Limerick in Montgomery County also were under a tornado warning until 7:30 p.m., with the warning extending into Chester County.
They were the latest declarations from the weather service in a Sunday afternoon full of them as storms approached and moved through the region.
The Lehigh Valley as a whole remained under a severe thunderstorm watch until 11 o'clock Sunday night.
The National Weather Service issued the watch Sunday afternoon for several eastern Pennsylvania counties, including Lehigh and Northampton.
The watch also was issued for parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia and Maryland.
It came after a humid day with temperatures in the mid-80s across the Lehigh Valley.
There's a 60 percent chance of heavy rain Sunday night in the region, according to the weather service. New precipitation amounts of between a quarter- and half-inch are possible.
Scattered showers are in the forecast overnight and again Monday.
6:35 PM Update: At the moment, our two strongest storms are located over Berks and Lehigh Counties (PA). The northern storm has a history of producing multiple funnel clouds. Isolated showers/storms are found across the remainder of the area. Please send in any reports. #PAwx pic.twitter.com/daLtC9zvmZ
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) July 2, 2023
Forecasters previously issued a hazardous weather outlook that included the Lehigh Valley, warning of storms with the potential for damaging wind gusts and hail.
A storm watch is issued when there is the potential for severe thunderstorms.
Looking ahead to the Fourth of July on Tuesday, more showers are possible. The weather service forecasts a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m.
It'll be party sunny and muggy, with highs near 88 and a 50 percent chance of precipitation for the holiday, according to the latest forecast Sunday afternoon.
