Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued In Eastern PA

SOUTHEASTERN PA — Residents in much of eastern Pennsylvania should brace for some inclement weather Wednesday afternoon, as a severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for a large swath of the region.

The watch, which is in place until 9 p.m., coverts central and eastern Pennsylvania, as well as parts of South Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, the National Weather Service announced.

Frequent lightning is possible with the storm, as well as isolated, quarter-sized hail. Scattered wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour could hit the area, forecasters warn.

The chance of precipitation is about 30 percent, according to the National Weather Service.

The watch comes on top of an excessive heat warning which blanketed much of the region through Thursday, with a heat index of 110 degrees possible.

A severe thunderstorm watch is issued when conditions are "favorable" for a storm that produces at least inch-sized hail, or winds that exceed 58 miles per hour. During a watch, residents are advised to be prepared to move to a place of safety if need be.