Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 206, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 21, 2026Berks County, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 21, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT for Berks County, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 42 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 21, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT (18:18 UTC)
Expired
Jul 21, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Berks County, PA, Lehigh County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 131 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:17 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 21, 2:06 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 228 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2026-07-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 941 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2026-07-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 68 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
941 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-113 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
772 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
112 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

761 
WUUS51 KPHI 211818
SVRPHI
PAC011-077-211900-
/O.NEW.KPHI.SV.W.0206.260721T1818Z-260721T1900Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
218 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Northeastern Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania...
  Central Lehigh County in eastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 300 PM EDT.

* At 218 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near
  Shoemakersville, or 10 miles north of Reading, moving east at 35
  mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Damage to roofs, siding, trees, and power lines is 
           possible.

* Locations impacted include...
  Allentown, Emmaus, Kutztown, Hamburg, Fleetwood, Topton, Leesport,
  Shoemakersville, Lyons, Coffeetown, Zionsville, Ancient Oaks,
  Claussville, Catasauqua, Coplay, Macungie, North Catasauqua,
  Alburtis, Fullerton, and Hokendauqua.

This includes the following highways...
 Northeast Extension between mile markers 48 and 61.
 Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 38 and 59.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for eastern
Pennsylvania.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for eastern
Pennsylvania.

&&

LAT...LON 4054 7599 4068 7550 4066 7547 4046 7546
      4045 7598
TIME...MOT...LOC 1818Z 250DEG 31KT 4049 7590 

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

AKL
1 follow-up statement
908 
WWUS51 KPHI 211845
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
245 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

PAC011-077-211900-
/O.CON.KPHI.SV.W.0206.000000T0000Z-260721T1900Z/
Berks PA-Lehigh PA-
245 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM EDT
FOR EAST CENTRAL BERKS AND SOUTH CENTRAL LEHIGH COUNTIES...

At 245 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Ancient Oaks,
or 7 miles southwest of Allentown, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damage to roofs, siding, trees, and power lines is 
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Allentown, Emmaus, Ancient Oaks, Zionsville, Catasauqua, Macungie,
Alburtis, and Fullerton.

This includes the following highways...
 Northeast Extension between mile markers 48 and 58.
 Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 48 and 59.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for eastern
Pennsylvania.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 4046 7569 4058 7569 4065 7547 4046 7546
TIME...MOT...LOC 1845Z 265DEG 35KT 4052 7559 

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

AKL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 21, 2:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks, Lehigh, Northampton37 min
Jul 21, 3:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester, Delaware53 min
Jul 21, 3:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHICarbon, Monroe43 min
Jul 21, 3:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester, Delaware47 min
Jul 21, 4:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia52 min
Jul 21, 4:31 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIChester, Delaware96 min
Jul 21, 4:38 PM EDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatPHIChester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia4 hr
Jul 21, 4:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester, Delaware47 min
Jul 21, 5:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIDelaware45 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.