More Severe Weather Threatens Philly Area Before 4th Of July

Eastern Pennsylvania could see yet another round of severe weather this week just before the 4th of July weekend, potentially impacting travel plans.

A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for parts of northeastern Pennsylvania Thursday afternoon, continuing until 10 p.m. Frequent lightning, scattered wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour are possible. However, the watch remains north of the five-county Philadelphia area.

While there is far less certainty for this coming thunderstorm than the fronts that battered the area earlier this week, the National Weather Service says that isolated thunderstorms, bringing heavy rainfall where they hit, could arrive later Tuesday.

Sforms are chiefly expect4ed after 5 p.m. Most of the five-county greater Philadelphia area has just a 25 percent chance of thunderstorms hitting, though chances increase to the north, with the Allentown area sitting around 37 percent and the higher Poconos near 50 percent, the National Weather Service said.

The storms will continue through around 7 p.m.

Temperatures will rise to about 90 on Thursday, so while it will be hot, it will not approach the record-setting levels of recent heat waves.

The current forecast calls for the front to fully move out by Thursday night and for 4th of July to be sunny and clear, with an even milder high of 86.

See the full forecast for the area below, according to the National Weather Service:

Thursday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5 p.m. Sunny, with a high near 90. Light northwest wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7 p.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 67. North wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday (4th of July)
Sunny, with a high near 86. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 68.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.