A Tornado Watch was in effect for much of the Philadelphia region on Tuesday evening as severe storms moved into the area, putting Delaware County in Pennsylvania, Salem County and Gloucester County in New Jersey, New Castle County in Delaware and Chester County, Pennsylvania under tornado-related alerts.
That watch mattered because Tuesday was shaping up as the most active day of the week, with unsettled weather possible at any point and downpours able to form quickly. Tropical humidity was feeding the risk of flooding rain, while a severe weather risk remained south of the city and damaging wind gusts and even a brief tornado could not be ruled out.
By then, a Tornado Warning had already expired for Delaware County in Pennsylvania, Salem County and Gloucester County in New Jersey, New Castle County in Delaware and Chester County, Pennsylvania. A warning means a tornado has been spotted or radar has picked one up, so its expiration lowered the immediate threat — but it did not end the severe weather concern, which was still centered on heavy rain and the chance of another short-lived spin-up.
That is the part readers should watch next: no further tornado warning was confirmed in the available information, so the question is whether the storms stay as soaking downpours and wind or tighten again into something more dangerous before Tuesday is over.
