Tornado Watch Issued For Pittsburgh Area, Western PA: NWS

PITTSBURGH, PA — A tornado watch is in effect for Pittsburgh and much of western Pennsylvania ahead of a line of strong thunderstorms expected to move through the area Wednesday night.

The tornado watch is in effect until midnight Thursday for Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, Mercer, and Washington counties, according to the National Weather Service.

Local radar showed a strong storm system over eastern Ohio around 6 p.m. According to forecasters, storms are expected to move through western Pennsylvania between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. and reach Pittsburgh between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The storm system also could produce golf ball-sized hail, damaging winds up to 70 mph, and isolated tornadoes, forecasters said.

Heavy rain could also spawn flash flooding given saturated grounds across the region, the NWS said.

Skies are expected to clear by Thursday morning when temperatures are predicted to 72 degrees.