Severe thunderstorms are expected to impact parts of the northeastern United States on Saturday, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue multiple Severe Thunderstorm Watches as forecasters warn of damaging winds, large hail, heavy rainfall and the possibility of isolated tornadoes.
The alerts cover portions of Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, while neighboring southern Ontario in Canada is also under a severe thunderstorm warning.
Pennsylvania
According to the National Weather Service, a severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 9 pm EDT for 33 counties in central Pennsylvania.
The watch includes Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Warren and York, among others.
Major cities under the watch include Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, Gettysburg, State College, Altoona, Johnstown, Hershey and Williamsport.
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Ohio
The National Weather Service has also issued a severe thunderstorm watch for all of Northeast Ohio through 9 pm Saturday.
Affected counties include Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark, Lorain, Lake, Medina, Portage, Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula, Erie, Richland and Wayne, among others.
According to WKYC’s 3News Weather Team, a strong cold front is expected to trigger storms between 3 pm and 8 pm. Forecasters warned the storms could produce damaging wind gusts, large hail, torrential rainfall, frequent lightning and an isolated tornado risk.
New York
In New York, the National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 pm for parts of western New York and the Finger Lakes.
The alert covers Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Wayne and Wyoming counties.
Also Read: Wildfires in Canada and Minnesota trigger poor air quality alerts across Midwest and Northeast US
Across the border, Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a Yellow-level Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Mississauga, with storms expected across much of southern Ontario through the afternoon.
The City of Mississauga warned that the storms may produce damaging wind gusts, heavy rain and large hail, while local conservation authorities have issued Flood Outlook warnings because intense rainfall could lead to localized flooding and rising water levels.
Residents have been advised to stay away from rivers, streams and other waterways, avoid driving through flooded roads, secure loose outdoor items and prepare for potential power outages.
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