Philadelphia Weather: Severe Storms Expected To Bring Damaging Winds, Flooding And Isolated Tornadoes
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Our region is under a weather alert Monday afternoon and evening. A line of fast-moving severe thunderstorms will cross the area between 2 pm. and 8 p.m. The storms will be driven by a strong cold front and upper-level disturbance.
Stay with the Eyewitness News Weather Team on-air, online and streaming on CBS News Philly for your most up-to-date forecast. You can also download the CBS Philly app for the latest updates on breaking news and weather.
The main threats include 70-plus mph damaging winds and tornadoes are possible. Additional threats include intense lightning and large hail along with brief downpours.
An enhanced risk for severe weather was issued by the Storm Prediction Center for Philadelphia along with all counties in southeast Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley, the New Jersey suburbs close to the I-95 Corridor and northern Delaware.
This level of risk is seldom issued for our area and in past instances, it has been accompanied by widespread damage and a few tornadoes.
The severe weather could cause a rough afternoon and evening commute with travel delays as the storms pass from west to east.
Impacts will include some downed trees and powerlines, scattered power outages, difficult travel and localized flooding.
Meanwhile, some school districts dismissed students early ahead of the storm, including Quakertown and Palisades schools in Bucks County and the Northampton Area School District in Lehigh County.
The School District of Philadelphia canceled all after-school and athletic activities ahead of the storm.
In South Jersey closer to the shore, the Jersey Shore and southern Delaware there is a slight risk for severe weather.
The current time frames of concern are from 2 to 5 p.m. for the Lehigh Valley, 4 to 7 p.m. for greater Philadelphia and 5 to 8 p.m. for the Jersey Shore.
Have a safety plan for yourself and your family. Especially children arriving home from school and at home alone after school. Know what to do, where to seek shelter and who to contact.
Make sure to follow this afternoon's storms on our free CBS Philly app where you will get instant alerts when dangerous weather approaches where you live.
