Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 33, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT for Berks County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 45 min. 9 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 20, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT (20:00 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 2026, 4:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 0.75 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
County Berks County, PA
The radar
The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 136 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:01 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 4:14 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Wnw Robeson Twp, PA | Tree down into a house. Time estimated from radar. |
| May 20, 4:14 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Wnw Robeson Twp, PA | Tree down into a house. Time estimated from radar. |
| May 20, 4:15 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Sse Kenhorst, PA | Trees down on wires along Mount Penn Road. Time estimated from radar. |
| May 20, 4:15 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Sse Kenhorst, PA | Trees down on wires along Mount Penn Road. Time estimated from radar. |
| May 20, 4:30 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | Birdsboro, PA | Trees down on wires. Time estimated from radar. |
| May 20, 4:30 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | Birdsboro, PA | Trees down on wires. Time estimated from radar. |
| May 20, 4:40 PM EDT | TSTM WND GST 53 | 1 Ne Reading, PA | Mesonet station EW3190 Reading. |
| May 20, 4:47 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Se Douglass Twp, PA | Wires down along Sunset Drive. Time estimated from radar. |
| May 20, 4:47 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Se Douglass Twp, PA | Wires down along Sunset Drive. Time estimated from radar. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 200 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 47 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -204 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1752 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -79 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -47 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
438
WUUS51 KPHI 202000
SVRPHI
PAC011-202045-
/O.NEW.KPHI.SV.W.0033.260520T2000Z-260520T2045Z/
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
400 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026
The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Central Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania...
* Until 445 PM EDT.
* At 400 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Robesonia, or
9 miles east of Myerstown, moving east at 25 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Damage to roofs, siding, trees, and power lines is
possible.
* Locations impacted include...
Reading, Wyomissing, Birdsboro, Fleetwood, Sinking Spring,
Laureldale, Womelsdorf, Wernersville, Robesonia, Leesport,
Bernville, Bechtelsville, Spring Ridge, Fairview Hgts, Shillington,
West Reading, Boyertown, Mount Penn, Mohnton, and Kenhorst.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
&&
LAT...LON 4048 7621 4044 7562 4030 7565 4023 7571
4020 7578 4024 7603 4037 7623
TIME...MOT...LOC 2000Z 274DEG 22KT 4036 7613
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
Fitzsimmons1 follow-up statement
967
WWUS51 KPHI 202034
SVSPHI
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
434 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026
PAC011-202045-
/O.CON.KPHI.SV.W.0033.000000T0000Z-260520T2045Z/
Berks PA-
434 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM EDT
FOR CENTRAL BERKS COUNTY...
At 433 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Birdsboro, or
7 miles east of Reading, moving east at 30 mph. This storm has a
history of producing wind damage.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.
SOURCE...Trained weather spotters.
IMPACT...Damage to roofs, siding, trees, and power lines is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Reading, Wyomissing, Birdsboro, Sinking Spring, Laureldale,
Wernersville, Leesport, Bechtelsville, Spring Ridge, Fairview Hgts,
Shillington, West Reading, Boyertown, Mount Penn, Mohnton, Kenhorst,
St. Lawrence, West Lawn, Lorane, and Amity Gardens.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
&&
LAT...LON 4031 7614 4047 7608 4043 7562 4030 7565
4023 7571 4020 7578 4024 7603
TIME...MOT...LOC 2033Z 276DEG 25KT 4032 7579
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...OBSERVED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
FitzsimmonsThe office that day
Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 8:04 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia | 25 min |
| May 20, 3:57 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Berks, Lehigh | 48 min |
| May 20, 4:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Berks, Chester, Montgomery | 46 min |
| May 20, 4:43 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Berks, Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton | 47 min |
| May 20, 4:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Berks, Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery | 44 min |
| May 20, 4:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Chester, Delaware | 40 min |
| May 20, 5:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia | 50 min |
| May 20, 5:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia | 45 min |
| May 20, 5:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Bucks, Northampton | 51 min |
| May 20, 5:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia | 46 min |
| May 20, 5:40 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PHI | Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia | 3 hr |
| May 20, 5:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia | 49 min |
| May 20, 5:52 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia | 38 min |
| May 20, 6:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia | 44 min |
| May 20, 6:09 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Delaware, Philadelphia | 46 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.