The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for central Berks County, in effect until 5:00 PM this evening.
At 4:25 PM, radar indicated a line of severe thunderstorms stretching from near Hamburg to near Adamstown, moving east at 20 mph.
These storms are capable of producing wind gusts up to 60 mph and penny-size hail. Damage to roofs, siding, trees, and power lines is possible.
Communities in the path of the storms include Reading, Wyomissing, Birdsboro, Hamburg, Fleetwood, Sinking Spring, Laureldale, Leesport, Shoemakersville, Lenhartsville, Spring Ridge, Fairview Heights, Shillington, West Reading, Mount Penn, Mohnton, Kenhorst, St. Lawrence, Centerport, and West Lawn.
For your safety, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. In addition to hail and damaging winds, frequent cloud-to-ground lightning is occurring with these storms. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck—seek shelter indoors immediately.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive through flooded roadways. Turn around, don’t drown.